While AT Lora Fuhrmann and student Athletic Trainer Noah Tanner were landing at the Northwest Arkansas Airport for the SEC softball tournament in Fayetteville, they recognized a person was in need of assistance.
They administered CPR until the ambulance arrived.
The airport emergency team praised them for their quick response:
"[The Athletic] Trainers from the Auburn University softball team intervened prior to our team’s arrival. [Their] quick response likely contributed to saving a life, and we are grateful for their actions."
As something we have been advocating for a long time — the essential need for every school to have an Athletic Trainer on staff — we love Fuhrman's declaration of everything that Athletic Trainers do:
“Athletic Trainers are healthcare professionals who collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals to provide emergency care, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of acute and chronic injuries and other medical conditions. Contrary to the public’s perception, we do more than hand out water and tape ankles. I believe having an Athletic Trainer is vital, and traveling with one is essential."
And, although he's still a student in the Auburn AT program, Tanner discussed how his training helped the two act so quickly in response to person in need:
“You hope to never have to use your emergency skills such as CPR or using an AED [automated external defibrillator], but Auburn does a great job of continuously practicing emergency action plans and how to react to an emergency. That practice contributed to Lora and I being ready to step into action, even under unusual circumstances.”
He added that he was proud to represent Auburn as an Athletic Trainer, both on and off campus. And he added that "situations like these are not acts of bravery; they are something we are just trained to do."
Hats off to Lora Fuhrmann and Noah Tanner for their quick thinking, fast response, and ability to put their great education and skills to work in helping to save a life!