3 honored for heroic actions in LaGrange

LAGRANGE – Pete Russell, officer in charge of the LaGrange post office, recognized two customers and one employee recently for their heroic actions in helping another postal customer in medical distress last month, according to a press release from Leanne Payeur, USPS district communications coordinator.

Russell was going about his regular duties one August day when a customer became dizzy and fell in the parking lot, striking his head and opening up a significant gash. The wound was bleeding profusely when Russell, a certified CPR provider trained in first aid, went out to help. When he got there, he found LaGrange resident Jamie Russell (no relation) already tending to the injured man, who by then was unconscious, having suffered cardiac arrest.

Jamie Russell, a teacher at Central High School who was on his way to referee a local soccer game when he stopped by the post office, took a pair of clean gym socks from his bag and held them to the head wound to stop the bleeding. When Pete Russell came out to help, Jamie Russell began to administer CPR while Pete dealt with the bleeding wound.

As he was rushing out to the parking lot, Pete Russell saw regular postal customer Cynthia Davis in the lobby and asked her to call medical responders. He also asked Rural Letter Carrier Grace Leeman to cover the customer service counter so that he could help the injured customer. “Cynthia jumped right in to handle the phone and give the medical providers all the information, and Grace pitched in to run the counter even though it isn’t her job and she’s never done it before,” said Pete Russell. “I was very fortunate to have the assistance of those two women that day, or I would not have been able to leave my post.”

On account of the heroic actions of Jamie Russell, who continued administering CPR until the ambulance arrived, the injured customer survived, which paramedics said happens less than 10 percent of the time in such situations.

To thank all of those involved, Pete Russell brought the group together at the LaGrange post office last week, to recognize them personally. He read individual letters of appreciation and gave postal certificates to all three for the helpful roles they played during the emergency. In addition, he presented Jamie Russell with a framed sheet of the new Super Heroes stamps.

In recognizing Jamie, Pete Russell said, “Your actions demonstrate that everyday heroes do exist, that people can trust and count on their neighbors, and that goodness thrives in the hearts of total strangers. I’m sure I echo the feelings of the customer you helped that day when I tell you how very proud I am to know you and to recognize your actions here today.”