Niantic nurse assisted unconscious passengers onboard flight
East Lyme — Mary Cunningham of Niantic, a registered nurse who helped administer medical aid on a flight that was later diverted in an emergency landing, said Thursday that responding was the right thing to do.
She said most nurses in her situation would have done exactly the same. Her actions — though in a different setting — are what nurses do every day in their jobs.
In a story that has made national headlines, Cunningham said she was half-way through a flight from Chicago to Bradley International Airport on Wednesday, on her way home from a Florida vacation, when she heard an announcement asking if there were any medical professionals on board.
Cunningham, 25, raised her hand. No other doctors or nurses were on the flight. She then helped a passenger receive oxygen on the SkyWest flight before the plane eventually made an emergency landing in Buffalo, N.Y.
Cunningham said the passenger was lethargic and nauseous and appeared a bluish-gray color. The passenger was responsive, but barely able to answer Cunningham's questions.
"Because of her color, I knew she needed oxygen," said Cunningham. The flight attendant assisted Cunningham to get oxygen for the patient from a tank. Cunningham sat with the passenger until the color returned to her face and she appeared stable.
Before Cunningham had returned to her seat at the back of the plane, she was called back because another person behind the first woman needed assistance. Cunningham said the second passenger was unresponsive, and the crew got oxygen for her.
"By the time I saw the second passenger experiencing these symptoms, I had a conversation with the flight attendant and we decided it was probably best to do an emergency landing, given that multiple people needed medical attention and we didn't know the cause," said Cunningham.
At that time, Cunningham said she herself felt short of breath and light-headed and knew she needed to sit down or she was going to faint. A flight attendant in the vicinity also later appeared faint, Cunningham added.
An announcement came over the loudspeaker system that everybody needed to buckle up, because the plane was going to make an emergency landing after a steep descent into Buffalo, Cunningham recalled.
Cunningham thinks she heard a flight attendant say that there was a possible air leak and a possible air pressurization issue.
"Obviously, I don't know what the real cause was," she said.
Once the plane landed, about 10 to 15 people were checked out by EMTs, and a doctor was present, she said.
Cunningham said she felt fine for the first hour after landing, but then felt light-headed. She said she felt better a few minutes after receiving oxygen.
In an emailed statement to The Day, SkyWest confirmed that a total of three passengers reported a loss of consciousness on the flight.
"The passengers were evaluated by medical responders on the ground in Buffalo and were released; none were transported to the hospital," the airline stated in the email. "After examination by maintenance personnel and local authorities, there have been no indications of a pressurization problem or other issues with the aircraft."
The Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement that it will investigate the incident.
Reflecting on her experience on Thursday, Cunningham said she became scared after the second person lost consciousness. She said she was also concerned that the oxygen masks didn't drop down within the plane, though because she doesn't know the exact cause, she said she's not sure if they should have.
Cunningham said the flight's pilots were heroic for making an emergency landing and praised the flight attendants and crew for their professional behavior.
She also said that the "close call" made her even more grateful for her friends and family.
The daughter of high-school teacher Marcie and attorney Daniel Cunningham, she grew up with three siblings in Niantic: Rob, 32; Leah, 31; and Sarah, 22. A 2008 graduate of East Lyme High School, Cunningham took art classes at the Barn for Artistic Youth, played on the volleyball league at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, and interned with Ledge Light Health District, which serves East Lyme and other local communities.
Cunningham received a bachelor's degree in science and nursing from Fairfield University in 2012 and now works as an emergency room nurse at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She said she will start an advanced practice registered nurse program at Yale University in the fall.
Cunningham said a local family friend, Ginny Lewis, who told Cunningham stories about her experience as a Vietnam war nurse while Cunningham was growing up, was "a huge inspiration."
"I wanted to be in a field where I would help people and work with people," she added about her career choice.
Marcie Cunningham, Mary's mother and a teacher at East Lyme High School, said she remembered the day when her daughter, then 16, came into her classroom at the high school. Mary told her that she knew what she was going to do: become a nurse.
Marcie responded that it was the perfect profession for her daughter.
"She's very caring and giving," she added. "She's also smart and level-headed."
Marcie said Mary's a very good nurse, and the family has always been proud of Mary, as well as her choice of profession. She said everyone is so happy the nerve-wracking experience ended well.
"We're so proud of her, but also so grateful for the outcome," she said.
k.drelich@theday.com
Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich
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