On Wednesday, December 16, Acadian Ambulance Paramedic Carson Hebert and former paramedic Jim Privat were among bystanders and first responders awarded a Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action by the American Red Cross – Louisiana for their successful efforts in treating a cardiac arrest patient.
In December 2019, Stephanie Campos was rehearsing with the Lagniappe Ladies dance group when she suddenly collapsed. Choreographer Rex Broussard, off-duty nurses and dance group members Carolyn Broussard and Maxie Crain, Red Cross employee and dance group member Kara Murphy immediately began performing CPR while Jim and Carson and Lafayette Fire Department Captain Eric Prejean, Firefighter Caleb Guidry, Engineer Steven Freehan and Firefighter First Class Joshua Bourgeois were en route.
Jim and Carson successfully resuscitated Stephanie before transporting her to the hospital. Blockages in Stephanie’s major arteries to her heart caused her to go into ventricular fibrillation then cardiac arrest, and the quick action and response by all ten individuals played a crucial role in Stephanie’s survival.
