Family Honors Life-Saving Maryland Medic
A Baltimore County paramedic receives a big thank you for saving a young man's life.
MIDDLE RIVER, Md. --
A
paramedic received a big thank you Thursday for saving a young man's life.
Constantly on call, firefighters and paramedics never know what steps will be needed when responding to incidents. For firefighters and paramedics who risk their lives to save lives, a thank you goes a long way.
"It's always good when somebody recognizes what you've done, and though it may be your daily routine and the work that you do, it's still nice to be recognized," Baltimore County Fire Department Capt. Charles Vaughan said.
Donald Lee was 19 when he said two boys with whom he grew up shot him on Jan. 14, 2009.
"I got a phone call from a young lady screaming that my son had been shot," Luana Lee said.
"(We got in) a fight, and he came by, stopped the car and started shooting all over. I had no idea that they were going to shoot or anything like that," Donald Lee said.
Baltimore County Fire Department Lt. Richard Lannan responded to the 911 call for a gunshot wound, saving Lee's life.
"The young man had a gunshot wound to his right chest. I assessed the patient and found him to be in cardiac arrest," Lannan said. "(There was) an entrance wound in the front coming out the back. So, I put a needle in his chest to relieve the pressure and the tension in his thorax and put him in the ambulance and transported him to Shock Trauma."
On Thursday, Lee's mother, Luana, gave Lannan a plaque honoring him for his actions.
"He took him as his own child ... and made sure my son came home to me, and I'm so grateful for that," Luana Lee said. "If it wasn't for his expertise and thinking positive and fast and getting him to the right place to be taken care of, my son wouldn't be standing here today."
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