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Paramedic recounts saving baby girl's life and how ‘training just kicked in’

County of Simcoe Paramedic Services Commencement and Honours Ceremony took place at the Simcoe County Museum on Friday afternoon

A baby isn’t breathing and has no heartbeat. It’s every family’s worst nightmare.

Luckily, paramedic Megan Lorscheidt was on duty one evening this past March when the call came in to County of Simcoe Paramedics of a baby with vital signs absent.

Her incredible act of heroism saved the baby’s life that day.

Lorscheidt’s story was one of many that were recognized with a special Chief Commendation during the County of Simcoe Paramedic Services Commencement and Honours Ceremony, which took place at the Simcoe County Museum on Friday afternoon. The ceremony aims to celebrate the successes of local paramedics over the past year.

Lorscheidt was serving on the rapid response unit on March 7 when she heard the call come over the radio and attended the scene immediately.

“The dispatching details were very vague, so I was not expecting what I saw when I got in there,” Lorscheidt told BarrieToday.

She arrived to find an infant unconscious, blue and not breathing.

She immediately started CPR and airway management, as the little girl's heart was not beating.

The heartbeat, however, was in a shockable rhythm, which Lorscheidt said was extremely rare for an infant.

“Training just kicked in. I went to work without second-guessing myself,” she said. “Once we delivered the shock, the heartbeat came back very quickly.

"A sense of relief came over everyone in the room.”

The baby was then transported to hospital.

Lorscheidt says the family has kept in touch and the baby is in fine health now.

“I think it’s more after that you process your emotions. When I went in, I just went right to the baby and did what needed to be done and didn’t think about the emotional part of it at the time," she said. "After you sort of realize, ‘Wow, that just happened.'

"That night, I had trouble sleeping. I just played it over in my head, over and over again.”

What possibly compounded the emotional weight of the call was that at the time, Lorscheidt herself was pregnant and also had a second child at home.

“I’ve thought about that call pretty much everyday since it’s happened,” she said. “I think about... that could be my kid.”

Other commendations were provided Friday to paramedic duo Mitchell Sinclair and Galen Slingerland, who offered assistance to local police when a person under arrest fought back. The two were able to subdue the accused.

Also, a group of paramedics who competed in the PACE Simulated Skills Competition in Winnipeg in September were recognized. County paramedics took first and third place in the competitions, which saw paramedics from across Canada compete.

“County of Simcoe Paramedics are leaders for the entire health-care continuum across the entire province,” Jane Sinclair, the county's general manager of health and emergency services, said during the ceremony. “We are extremely proud of each and every one of you.”

Awards and Commendations

Chief’s Commendations

  • Megan Lorsheidt
  • Mitchell Sinclair
  • Galen Slingerland
  • Julia Young-Williams
  • Shane Ellis
  • Steven Prophet
  • Michael Ruddick

New Team Members

  • Sarah Mills, Commander of Operations
  • Christina Coambs, Education Co-ordinator
  • Betsy MacFarlane, Education Co-ordinator
  • Marilyn Niffin, Education Co-ordinator
  • Marianne Orsan, Professional Standards Supervisor

Achievements

  • Kyle MacCallum, Community Paramedicine
  • Catherine Garcia, Community Paramedicine
  • Susan Hamilton, Community Paramedicine
  • Laurie Maher, Community Paramedicine
  • Kieran Maxwell, Community Paramedicine
  • Owen Van Dyke, Community Paramedicine

Exemplary Service Medals and Bars

  • Dave Anspach, Medal Recipient
  • Christopher Miner, Medal Recipient
  • Alex Carley, Medal and 30-Year Bar
  • Randall Stone, Medal and 30-Year Bar
  • Jeff Wright, Medal and 30-Year Bar
  • Paul Lizzotte, 40-Year Bar

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Jessica Owen

About the Author: Jessica Owen

Jessica Owen is an experienced journalist working for Village Media since 2018, primarily covering Collingwood and education.
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