For Immediate Release
April 6, 2011

Ambulance New Brunswick Paramedics Save Woman’s Life

BLISSFIELD, NB – A 37 year old Blissfield woman, (near Doaktown) who suffered a heart attack in early December 2010, was saved after quick intervention by Ambulance New Brunswick paramedics.

Tracey Nowlan had organized a birthday party for her 6 year old son that day. After the guests left, Tracey started to feel pain and tightness in her chest. The pain eventually went away, but about an hour after going to bed, the pain returned and Tracey decided to call her mom to bring her to the hospital. A few minutes later, as the pain was getting worse, Tracey decided she should call an ambulance instead.

Shortly after, Ambulance New Brunswick paramedics Chris Hood and Les Gillet arrived at Tracey’s house and assessed her before starting the trip towards the Miramichi Hospital. En route, Tracey went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics Hood and Gillet revived her with the help of a defibrillator. It is important to note that every second counts for a person going through a cardiac arrest.  For every minute that passes chances of survival decrease by 10%. 

“They are my living heroes,” says Nowlan. “If you think you need help, don’t hesitate to call the ambulance. A life is priceless.” Tracey also wants to thank the Ambulance New Brunswick flight nurses who accompanied her when she was transferred via air ambulance from the Miramichi Hospital to the Saint John Regional Hospital where she received further treatment.

Since her release from the hospital, Tracey is enjoying the same standard of living as prior to her cardiac arrest and is scheduled to return to work in the near future.

Ambulance New Brunswick was created by the Government of New Brunswick in December 2007 to deliver a world-class land, air and emergency dispatch ambulance service throughout the province. Today, Ambulance New Brunswick has more than 900 paramedics stationed across the province. Every year, they respond to approximately 100,000 calls. The air ambulance service performs more than 700 emergency calls every year and flies nearly 600,000 kilometres transporting sick and injured patients to specialized hospital care across the Maritimes and as far as Toronto, London and Montreal.

The attached picture shows paramedic Les Gillet, cardiac survivor Tracey Nowlan and paramedic Chris Hood. Tracey met Les and Chris at a local restaurant earlier this week to thank them for saving her life.

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Media contact:
Sophie Cormier-Lalonde
External Communications Officer
Ambulance New Brunswick
506-872-6579
sophie.cormier-lalonde@smunbems.ca