From the Archives: 'Employee receives highest Red Cross honor'

[ Editor's note: At the end of the decade, Western Today is publishing articles from the past 10 years of FAST, the campus faculty/staff newsletter. This is one of those articles. Publication of FAST officially ended in the summer of 2009. It was replaced by Western Today. ]

This article first appeared in FAST on Oct. 10, 2002

For saving the life of her elderly neighbor on New Year’s Eve 2000, Judy Stanley (space administration), has earned the highest honor of the national Red Cross, its Certificate of Merit.

In a recent ceremony at the Whatcom County chapter, Stanley received a citation, a medal and the certificate signed by President George W. Bush, honorary Red Cross chairman. Stanley credited training in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation for enabling her to aid the neighbor, who had collapsed and was going into cardiac arrest. Stanley had provided rescue breathing and was beginning CPR when the emergency medical team arrived.

She received the local Adult Good Samaritan Award at the December 2001 Red Cross Real Heroes breakfast and was selected at the state level as a nominee for the national award. She is one of only four Washington residents to receive a Certificate of Merit in the past two years.

Stanley, who serves on Western’s Central Health and Safety Committee, has been recertified three times in lifesaving techniques while at Western.

In an editorial following the award ceremony, The Bellingham Herald called Stanley “a living example of why the American Red Cross offers classes in CPR. It’s something ordinary people can learn and perform with life-saving results.”