SPONSORED STORY: One of our own: Remarkable care for a remarkable caregiver | Local News

Amanda Lomonaco is a certified nursing assistant who has labored at Froedtert South for 25 yrs. She recently received a Shining Star award for the superb care she provides to her people.

On Thursday, June 30, Amanda was functioning in the Intermediate Treatment Unit – or IMCU – at Froedtert Enjoyable Prairie Medical center when she begun to experience unwell herself. Dull back again pain and a headache, then, suddenly, upper body and jaw soreness, and weighty perspiration.

“I went into the toilet to splash some water on my experience,” Amanda recalled, “and I looked in the mirror and believed, ‘Wow, I glimpse genuinely negative.’ I was imagining to myself, ‘Am I obtaining a coronary heart attack?’ but I just disregarded it. You really don’t want to feel it. You say to you, ‘No way.’” But back out in the flooring, her co-personnel were being pondering a thing else: “Yes way.”

“She didn’t look suitable,” recalled Regina Gattas Weston, a licensed practical nurse. Jessica Capp RN thought, “Amanda experienced the telltale indications that she was having a coronary heart attack. “I grabbed a wheelchair appropriate away,” Jessica stated. Amanda was rushed to the crisis section.

Katie Fraher, also a RN, was the supervisor in the intense treatment device – or ICU – that working day. “I have been a co-worker and individual friend of Amanda’s for 20 several years,” Katie explained. “I realized she desired a familiar confront there with her, so I made a decision I was likely to be that man or woman.” Katie rushed to the emergency section. She was just in time.

“The emergency office staff members was astounding,” Katie recalled. “They experienced Amanda in a space, hooked up to an IV, they experienced drawn blood for assessments, and executed an EKG. I stayed with her to assistance continue to keep her relaxed,” Katie said.

“Amanda just held wanting at me and I realized a little something was not proper, but I didn’t know particularly what it was. Amanda instructed me many instances that she believed she was likely to die, so I held seeking to reassure her that was not heading to transpire on my look at,” Katie stated. “When Amanda explained it to me one more time, I understood a little something was terribly wrong. I seemed in excess of at the observe and observed her coronary heart go into a lethal rhythm, and then ran out of the area to get much more assist. When I went back again into Amanda’s home, she was unresponsive and had no pulse, so I started CPR on her proper away.”

It wasn’t lengthy ahead of her close friends and co-personnel in IMCU uncovered that Amanda was in problems. “The system in the healthcare facility is they announce all cardiac arrests – or ‘codes’ as we contact them – about the public handle system, to get the people who want to help in the crisis,” reported RN Kristen Kmetz. “When we read that about the loud speakers, a shudder went as a result of all people on the floor. We understood it was Amanda.”

“It was scary across the board for absolutely everyone who was included or who knew Amanda, from our flooring to the emergency section,” said RN Allison Laurent.

“I was praying, I truly was,” recalled Regina Gattas Weston, “but we tried to stay calm and positive. Amanda is a potent girl, but it did scare everyone, it definitely did.”

Back again in the emergency section, medical professionals and nurses experienced re-established Amanda’s heartbeat and rushed her to the cath lab, exactly where Anna Silenzi, D.O., a cardiologist, inserted a stent into the blocked coronary artery that prompted Amanda’s coronary heart assault. Before long, Amanda was recovering and capable to start out looking at the men and women who experienced saved her lifestyle, which includes Katie Fraher.

“She appeared at me and reported my title,” Katie recalled, “and it was like my pal was again. I could see that she was ok.” Amanda was in particular glad to see Katie. “All my co-personnel are awesome,” Amanda said, “but I have constantly had a distinctive bond with Katie.”

Then Amanda reminded Katie of a informal discussion that experienced taken location in between the two of them in the earlier. “Amanda requested me if I remembered that she experienced explained to me that she had watched me do CPR on a client,” Katie claimed, “and then instructed me that if she was at any time in want, she desired me to be her nurse simply because she realized I would help save her life,” Katie mentioned. “I’ve performed CPR a lot of occasions, but by no means on a loved a person or near good friend. It built my skin tingle.”

Amanda expended a couple times in ICU and then went residence, exactly where she’s resting and investing time with her young children and grandchildren. “I’m having benefit of my 2nd life,” Amanda claimed. “I am so grateful for the persons I function with. Thank you for preserving my daily life. I have a whole lot to dwell for.”

Amanda is also earning programs. “I am heading back to function,” she explained. “That is what I do. I feel that taking treatment of men and women is what I was built for, and all this gives me a renewed feeling of pride in my co-personnel, in Froedtert South, and in the get the job done we do.”

Amanda is not on your own in people feelings. “We all truly do work together as a group,” reported Jessica Capp, “and when we do that, we’re actually solid. I’m very pleased of all people who was here that working day.”

“I’m happy to be a nurse, and I’m very pleased to be a element of this unit and this workforce,” said Allison Laurent. “I’m happy of our program for coming collectively to be capable to conserve a lifetime that working day, the lifetime of anyone we all know and who is a element of our loved ones.”

“I want individuals to know what great nurses this hospital has,” explained Regina Gattas Weston. “They acted actually speedily to make the call and deliver Amanda to the crisis office. I’m definitely proud and blessed to be capable to find out from them. And I hope if a thing happens to me, that I’m right here and they’ll take care of me,” Regina explained.

“It’s great when I glance at my co-staff who arrived with each other to take care of Amanda,” explained Kristen Kmetz. “She is one of our possess, but we would do that for just about every patient. I have a feeling of pleasure and accomplishment which is unlike anything else.”

“Proud is not a sturdy plenty of word to explain how I really feel about my colleagues and the other individuals in the medical center who aided Amanda,” claimed Katie Fraher. “Our team on the device that was functioning with her did a magnificent position, but I also want to thank from the base of my coronary heart the workers in the unexpected emergency section, the workers in the cath lab, in the ICU, everywhere. All people just came jointly for 1 of our very own.”