Revelstoke resident receives award for saving the lives of both her parents

A Revelstoke resident has received the Vital Link award as long-deserving recognition for her crucial role in saving the lives of both of her parents.

Nov. 1, 2020, was a pivotal day in the lives of the Cameron family. Robert Cameron, known as Bob by those in Revelstoke, collapsed on the couch in his home and went into cardiac arrest while watching TV.

His daughter, Roberta, quickly sprang into action and called 911. While on the line, the emergency medical call taker instructed her to move her father from the couch to a position on his back on the ground.

Roberta performed chest compressions for 10 minutes until the paramedics arrived. Paramedics were able to get his heart going once again after three shocks with a defibrillator.

Then, the situation went from bad to worse.

After the paramedics left with her father, Roberta noticed something unusual was happening to her mother, Carol.

Carol was exhibiting the signs of a stroke: her face was drooping and she was unable to make a fist. Roberta quickly packed her mother into the car and rushed her to the same hospital that her father was heading to.

The pair had surgery out of town, in Kelowna and Kamloops, and have both miraculously recovered from the incident.

Roberta was presented with a BCEHS Vital Link Award at the Revelstoke Ambulance Station on Oct. 18. Her parents, family members and friends attended the ceremony, as well as the responding paramedics and area manager.

Roberta Cameron alongside her parents, family members and friends attended the ceremony, as well as the responding paramedics and area manager. (Josh Piercey/Revelstoke Review)

The Vital Link Award is presented to citizens in the province whose actions have made a difference during medical emergencies.

The BCEHS is still promoting their new application called PulsePoint which alerts you if there is a possible victim of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest within 400 metres of your location anywhere in B.C. Additionally, if there is a public access defibrillator nearby, the app will tell you where it is. Anyone who can provide CPR can download the PulsePoint app.