Mike and Mary Anne were leaving an event downtown when they witnessed the competence and compassion of Jessica Chapman. Here’s Mike’s account:
Following the performance, one of the older audience members, who is of an age where she is now mobility challenged and forced to walk with a cane, was leaving the Alys Stephens Center when she slipped and fell onto a concrete walkway while attempting to negotiate a doorway to the parking lot. She was badly bruised, was bleeding profusely and, quite frankly, appeared somewhat scared by this turn of events.
Jessica was nearby at the time and immediately rendered assistance to this woman even though the friends she was with were ready to leave. She made the accident victim comfortable, checked her condition, worked to staunch the bleeding -- and most importantly, stayed with the injured woman and kept her calm until the Birmingham paramedics arrived to transport her to the ER.
We're very thankful that Jessica was present to make effective use of the skills she's learned during her time at Samford, and that she was willing to make assisting others in need a priority over enjoying her own evening out on the town with her friends.
In response to the nice message from Mike and Mary Anne, Jessica had this to say:
When I saw the elderly woman so afraid and in need of medical attention, my heart went out to her and I wanted to do all in my power to assist her. The IVMSON teaches us how to provide care compassionately, empathetically, and courageously. Those skills came to my aid when comforting this woman. Even though I could not mend her physical bruising and bleeding, I was able to provide comfort and keep her stable until help arrived. Thanks to my education at the IVMSON, this set of skills came naturally to me when the time arose.
The world is better because of Jessica Chapman and the education she has received through the Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing and Samford University.