U of A Staff Member Thanks UAPD Officers Who Helped Save Her Life

Photo by Matt Reynolds

Thankful reunion: (l-r) Steve Harrison, Cpl. D. Brett Waddell, Janice Harrison, Off. Paul Edwards

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Janice Harrison had probably seen University Police Cpl. Brett Waddell and Officer Paul Edwards around campus before, but the long-time staff member didn’t really meet them until last Wednesday, when she thanked them for helping to save her life.

Harrison, the director of property accounting for the associate vice chancellor for finance, was attending a 10 a.m. meeting on June 11 in the Arkansas Union when she suddenly had trouble breathing, slumped over in her chair and passed out. Her colleagues in the meeting called 911 and Abbie O’Brien, a staff member at the nearby UREC Fitness Center came in to help them lower Harrison onto the floor.

Officer Paul Edwards was on bicycle patrol when he got the emergency call and reached the room quickly. He called Cpl. Waddell, asking him to bring an AED –   Automatic External Defibrillator – from his patrol car. Then he and O’Brien started to treat Harrison.

When Waddell got to the Union he saw Kyle Curry, an occupational safety officer with the office of environmental health and safety and a trained emergency medical technician. Waddell explained the situation and Curry offered to help until an ambulance and paramedics could arrive.

When they got to the room Curry and Waddell began to perform CPR on Harrison, while Edwards prepared the AED. The device provided instructions and Curry followed them to administer a shock, with Waddell and Edwards resuming CPR until paramedics arrived. After additional treatment Harrison was taken out of the Union to an ambulance and then to Washington Regional Medical Center’s emergency room.

Janice Harrison is still recovering from her close call and on medical leave from the university, but she was feeling well enough July 22 that she and her husband Steve came to the UAPD offices to visit with Waddell and Edwards and express their gratitude. They chatted and she gave them a thank you card, but they told her that just her being there was thanks enough.

“We had been really concerned about her, that what we’d done had been enough, that she would recover,” said Edwards.

“I told her it was really great to see her up and around,” Waddell said. “It was really fortunate that there were people like Abbie O’Brien and Kyle Curry around to help us treat her until the ambulance arrived.”

“I wanted to say thanks to the officers for the care they provided me and for what they do on a daily basis to help others,” said Harrison. She added, “I am very fortunate for the quick action of the financial affairs managers in seeking help. I am also thankful to Kyle Curry and Abbie O’Brien for their part in helping save my life. Without the training these individuals have received and their quick actions, I might not be here today.”