WAYLAND — A Wayland firefighter paramedic and her sister, a nurse at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, are being credited for helping to save a woman’s life last week. The sisters were on a flight from Boston to Fort Meyers when the woman became unresponsive.
When flight attendants requested anyone with a medical background to come forward, paramedic Lindsay Byrne and nurse Nichole Kelly stepped up along with a firefighter from Florida.
“The three assessed the woman and found that she was unconscious, had grayish-blue skin, a faint pulse and was having difficulty breathing,” the Wayland Fire Department described in a Facebook post.
They determined she was having a diabetic emergency. They sat her up to clear her airway and gave her sugar packets orally to help her regain consciousness.
The trio stayed with the woman until the plane landed, where an ambulance was waiting to take her to a nearby hospital.
“Incidents like these are what first responders and medical professionals train for. Seeing this training and professionalism kick into action beyond our small community and in an environment with limited resources is a proud moment for the department that made a difference in someone’s life,” Wayland Fire Chief Neil McPherson said. “I commend Lindsay and Nicole for working together and utilizing both of their unique skill sets to take this swift, lifesaving action while flying aboard an aircraft.”
Byrne has been with the Wayland Fire Department since 2018.