Debra Watkins, VA Nurse, Rescues Couple from Burning Car Wreck

Debra Watkins, VA Nurse, Rescues Couple From Burning Car Wreck

Posted:12/19/2012 9:47 am ESTUpdated:12/19/2012 12:01 pm EST

As a nurse manager at the VA Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio, Debra Watkins is surrounded by heroes. But the humble nurse is actually a hero herself.

Watkinswitnessed a head-on collision between two truckson her way to work in winter of 2004. Without hesitating, the nurse leaped out of her car, approached the burning wreckage, andhelped rescue a pastor and his wife, according toinspiredcomfort.com.

The woman wasn’t breathing and wastrapped underneath the truck’s dashboard, Watkins told the Dayton Daily News.

“She had no heart rhythm, but was bleeding profusely, filling her oral and nasal cavities,” Watkins toldNurseweek.com.

With the help of two male volunteers, the couple was removed from the burning truck, right before it was engulfed in flames, according to the news outlet. Watkinsbegan performing CPRon the motionless woman, who was eventually transported to a hospital where she emerged from a six-week coma, according toinspiredcomfort.com.

Watkins doesn’t think her actions are extraordinary. She sees the incident as part of her job which she has been doingfor over 20 years, Watkins told the Dayton Daily News.

"I'm a private person and don't feel that people should be rewarded for doing what they should," she told thenews outlet. In fact, right after the rescue,Watkins changed her clothes and returned to work, she toldNurseweek.com.

Despite her humility, others have recognized Watkins’ act of courage. Her colleague, Tronica Wheeler, nominated Watkins for theCherokee Inspired Comfort Awardwhich she won in 2005.

For Wheeler, Watkins’ actions reflect the seasoned nurse’s philosophy. “She has a belief, ‘That you just grab life by the horns and ride until you get tired; you have the choice of hanging on or falling off,’”Wheeler wrote in her nomination letter. “In Debra’s mind, as she performed the CPR, she knew the lady was dead but she wanted to be able to tell the family that she did everything possible to save her,” Wheeler wrote.

Watkins received other awards including theNurse Hero Award from the American Red Cross and Nursing Spectrum. But Watkins remains modest.

“I care for heroes every day. The other rescuers say I’m the hero they couldn’t do without, but they’re heroes because I couldn’t have done without them,” she toldNurseweek.com.

Mary Evans, Mississippi Former Nurse, Soaks Self In Water To Enter Burning House And Save 3 Kids

Posted:01/02/2013 9:10 am ESTUpdated:01/02/2013 12:58 pm EST

When Mary Evans heard an explosion come from the house next door,she headed straight for the flames. Her niece’s four children were trapped inside the home -- ages 2, 3, 5, and 7.

“I had to do it, and I’d do it again, not only for them but for anyone else,”the Hickory, Miss., native toldNurseweek.comabout the incident that happened in the early morning in January 2004.

Evans, now a retired nurse, had herson spray her with hose waterbefore entering the burning home, she told the news outlet. She was still in her pajamas.

“I couldn’t stay in long because I could feel my skin burning and couldn’t see through the black smoke,”she describes. Evans reentered the house multiple times, soaking herself in water each time. She heard the children screaming but couldn’t see them,she told the Franklin County Times.

Evans first found Katie, 7, who is legally blind, and carried her out a window. She then went back inside and saved two other children from the flames. Five-year-old Jamien did not survive, according to the Times.

"They said he wouldn't get under the bed because he was scared of the dust bunnies,"Evans told the Times, describing why she didn't find the boy with his brother and sisters.

Since the harrowing incident, Evans was honored with theAmerican Red Cross and Nursing Spectrum Nurse Hero Award in 2004.

Yet Evans refuses to see her actions as heroic, but she does hope to inspire others.

“If you’re a true nurse, you want to save lives, and you just help people. I’m not a hero, just human,”she toldNurseweek.com, “If I help one person, maybe they’ll help somebody else.”

Angel Soto, Florida Dad Of 4, Says Losing Leg While Saving Man From Car Crash Was 'Worth It'

Posted:11/13/2012 7:06 pm ESTUpdated:11/20/2012 4:03 pm EST

Angel Soto is being hailed a hero for rescuing a stranger from a car crash, but his good deed came at an incredibly high cost.

The 36-year-old raced to the scene of acar crash in Boynton Beach, Fla., on Oct. 29 to pull Alexander Proscurshim out of his vehicle, the Sun Sentinel reports. But just as Soto was helping the injured victim, a Porsche plowed through the scene, pinning Soto to the wrecked truck and slicing off most of his right leg.

“The whole event is surreal,”Proscurshim, 26, toldKRISTV.com. “You see him lose his leg and you try to save him after he saved you, it’s a horrible situation,”

The victim quickly turned into the hero of the gruesome situation as Proscurshim tied an old T-shirt to Soto’s leg to help stop the bleeding.

No charges have been filed against any of the driversinvolved, but Soto -- a married father of four –- is filing a suit against the driver of the Porche, according to the Sun Sentinel. Though Soto has a long road to recovery ahead, he says he has no regrets.

“It was worth it,”Soto toldKRISTV.com. “Like I said, if I had to go save someone else again. I would do it again.”

Brenda Jones Create Unique Hospital Gowns for Ailing Women

Brenda Jones

MEGAN BAGGOTT/ROCK CREATIVE MEDIA, LLC

BYJESSICA FECTEAU

07/17/2014 01:45PM

When Brenda Jones was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, she used her experience to create what she calls her "Vera Wang moment."
It all started when she went for her first day of radiation in January 2009.
The technician "just pointed to the dressing room and said, 'Go on in there, and put on a hospital gown. You're going to wear them for the next seven weeks,' " Jones, 56, tells PEOPLE.
"I opened that door and literally when I saw those stacks of those hospital gowns, that's when I lost it," she says. "I just stood there crying. In my head I'm screaming, 'I'm not wearing those things!' "

At the same time, an idea popped into her head of what shewouldlike to wear.
"I knew exactly what I was going to make," says Jones, a former veterinary technician who had never sewn a day in her life.
That one moment led to her creatingHug Wraps, a nonprofit that has made more than 1,000 kimono-style gowns in a variety of patterns, colors and designs to women with all sorts of illnesses. A friend helped her learn how to sew.
The old gowns "take away patients' dignity, respect, comfort, it strips them of everything," says Jones, of Southampton, New Jersey. "But when you put on a Hug Wrap, you put on a smile."
Jones says the501(c)(3) nonprofitrelies heavily on monetary donations to create the wraps. Many of her customers are people buying the wraps for their family members or friends. She then tries to match the design of the gown as closely as possible to the patient's interests and needs.
Mary Carty got a Hug Wrap from Jones's niece, Althea McIlwee, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2012.
"It was a cold, cold rainy night and it was like 9 o'clock at night and she said, 'I have something to bring you, I know it will cheer you up,' " says Carty, 62, of Mount Holly, New Jersey.

"It was red – it makes me cry every time I think about it – it was red with yellow owls on it," she says. "Red is one of my favorite colors and owls are a spirit animal for me."
Carty says her husband Richard and their two sons were supportive but having the Hug Wrap was the female connection she needed during her battle with breast cancer.
"It gave me a positive feeling, like somebody cared," Carty says. "It really made me feel connected to a bunch of people, like we're all going through this same thing. It was a hug; it was literally a hug!"
Jones also includes a personal note with every Hug Wrap she makes.
"[Brenda] said that this was her hug that she wanted to give to me so when I went to my treatments and stuff I won't feel alone," Carty says, crying.
"You know, I just couldn't stop crying and every time I try to read that note, I cry," she says. "It's something special and Brenda has brought a lot of peace to a lot of people. I've always said if I won the lottery, she's the first on the list."
Carty officially became cancer free on March 12, 2013, but she says she still sports her Hug Wrap.
"It was just nice to have that item, and I still have it," she says. "I think I'll frame it. I'll never get rid of it."
Jones has donated Hug Wraps toNazareth Hospitalin Philadelphia, greatly impacting the cancer community, according to radiation therapist Candy McLaughlin.
"It's absolutely amazing and profound what this simple, little piece of fabric does for the patient when they have to come in for treatment every day," she says. "It presents a positive feeling to the patient that this is something the hospital is offering them but I really make an effort for them to understand that this is coming from Brenda."
Jones said her ultimate goal, besides appearing onEllen DeGeneres's show, is for any patient that is handed a diagnosis of cancer to be handed a Hug Wrap.
"For me to have gotten that angry when I did is not like me," says Jones, who is now cancer free. "But, really looking back, if I hadn't gotten that angry I wouldn't have been pushed to change those hospital gowns."

Battling Cancer, Noah Wilson, 6, Collects Superhero Bandages for Sick Kids

Noah Wilson

COURTESY DEB AND SCOTT WILSON

BYKATHERINE FOREMAN

@katherine4man

09/18/2014 AT 07:45 PM EDT

When 6-year-old Noah Wilson was diagnosed withEwing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, in April, his parents knew the way to bring a smile to his face: superhero bandages.
"Early on in the process, he would get shots every night in his leg," Noah's father Scott Wilson, 34, tells PEOPLE. "He would have six or seven bandages, three or four on each leg."
Though a simple gesture, the colorful bandages (his favorites are Superman and the Incredible Hulk) meant the world to Noah, who is being treated atChildren's Mercy Hospitalin Kansas City, Missouri.
"It's like each time I get one, it's a sign I'm done with it," Noah tells PEOPLE of his determination to beat the disease.

"In his eyes, a bandage means that he just had a success," Scott says. "This is his reward."
So when Noah was in the hospital and asked a nurse for a superhero bandage following a chemotherapy treatment three months ago, he was surprised – and frustrated – to learn the hospital only carried plain ones.
Noah decided to do something about it.
"I want to collect cool ones for Children's Mercy because the ones they have now are boring," he told his father, "and kids don't like boring ones."

What began with a simple, self-made sign on his family's Olathe, Kansas, doorstep asking for bandage donations turned intoNoah's Bandage Project, which, through Facebook shares and media coverage, has collected more than 3,200 boxes of colorful, patterned bandages from supporters around the country.
"He gets excited every time I come home with a package," says Scott, a telecommunications manager.
His favorite part is getting to label each box by hand, "With love from Team Noah Wilson." He delivers them to Children's Mercy each week with the help of his mother, Deb, 35.
"It's very important to him to see his friends at the hospital have what he has," she says. "They run down the hallways and tell their friends."
Laurie Morgado, whose 6-year-old son Ian was diagnosed withAcute Lymphoblastic Leukemiaat age 4 and is a patient at Children's Mercy, said he was "beyond thrilled" to receive a box of bandages featuring Minion, a character fromDespicable Me
"It makes him feel special," says the Leavenworth, Kansas, stay-at-home mom, who, along with other families, gets the bandages from tables at nursing stations.
"These children go through so much, and it seems trivial to some," says Morgado, 42, "but it's very important to him to show it off to his family and friends."
Noah's project has been so successful the hospital is planning to start ordering colorful bandages itself.
"When we first found out about this, it really got us thinking, 'Why aren't we already doing this?' " says Melissa Stover, 39, who works in Children's Mercy's Child Life department.
She says "the kids just light up" when they see them.
"They just can't wait to put them on," she says. "It's amazing what a little box of bandages will do."
Despite facing another 20 weeks of chemotherapy and radiation, Noah plans to keep his movement going – with the help of his family.
"We're very proud of him," Scott says. "Through this suffering that he's going through came this precious idea that is now helping so many others."

Katie Driscoll is Changing the Face of Advertising – with Special-Needs Models

Katie Driscoll with her daughter, Grace.

MARYELLE GODINEZ OF MULTIPLE BLESSINGS PHOTOGRAPHY

BYANNE LANG

08/21/2014 06:00PM

Katie Driscoll calls it a campaign – but others might call it a crusade.
Either way, for the past two years she has been on a vigorous mission to help cast children and adults with intellectual disabilities or physical differences in advertisements ranging from local to international.
"We're a society that's all about inclusion for children," Driscoll, 40, of Palos Park, Illinois, tells PEOPLE. "But when you look at imagery, you almost never see children with disabilities of any kind."
In 2012, she and her friend, Steve English, created a website,Changing the Face of Beauty, to promote the use of special-needs models in mainstream ads.
The response has been astonishing.
They have helped at least 20 models from all over the world land gigs – and those are just the ones they know about.
"I tell companies and designers: 'When you're putting your advertising out there for all to see, why wouldn't you include someone with a disability?' " says Driscoll.
Holly Ramsburg is one grateful parent.
"What Katie is doing with her campaign is life-changing for a lot of us," says Ramsburg, 44, of Naperville, Illinois, whose 8-year-old daughter has Down Syndrome and has been in several ads promoted by Driscoll's campaign.
It all started with Driscoll's youngest child, four-year-old Grace, who hasDown Syndrome. After having five boys, Driscoll was delighted to finally have a reason to buy girls' clothing and started posting photos of Grace wearing every new outfiton her blog.
She then reached out to small online vendors to see if they might be interested in using Grace to model their products to show people that "Grace is more than just her diagnosis."
After forming the website, Driscoll began sending pictures of Grace and other special-needs kids she'd photographed to various companies, urging them to consider using special-needs models in their mainstream ads.
As word of her campaign spread through social media, she was inundated with photos of special-needs individuals – including individuals with Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, autism, reliance on devices such as wheelchairs, etc. – sent by parents or guardians from all over the world.
Most of those images were transferred from the campaign's website to itsFacebook pagefor public viewing, where company reps can view the portfolio and contact Driscoll or English if they're interested in using any of the models. Driscoll then puts the company reps in touch with the families.
"There's more than $200 billion in discretionary spending from individuals with disabilities, so why wouldn't they be represented?' " says Driscoll, who also runs a small, separate commercial photography business out of her home.
She also champions inclusion.
"Often, when I talk to advertisers, they say: 'Great idea! We'd love to do a campaign celebrating special-needs children!' " she says. "And I say, 'No, I'm talking about including, say, one child who has a difference, along with everyone else in the ad.' "
Driscoll is grateful for responses from agencies like Chicago-based Real Talent Inc., which specializes in representing "real people" as models. Last year, agency founder Markus Giolas signed 18 models from the CTFOB database.
"I wish there were more people at high levels demanding 'real' models like the ones Katie is promoting," Giolas says, "because the more people see those models in mainstream advertising, the more they'll become comfortable with it."
Driscoll's campaign has benefitted from some celebrity support, including Maria Shriver. The Kennedy family member championed the efforton her blog.
But for Driscoll, the most important feedback is from the parents themselves – like one mother whose 23-year-old daughter is profoundly disabled and non-verbal.
"She told me, 'Thank you for changing my perception of my daughter,' " says Driscoll.
The mother also told Driscoll: " 'I've gone through life viewing my daughter as a disabled child,' and now I see her as a beautiful young woman – and I see opportunity for her.' "