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Colleagues' quick actions save life
(by Joan Demirjian - August 07, 2008)
Two Bainbridge Township employees are credited with helping save the life of Donald Mitchell, Town Hall property superintendent and cemetery sexton after he became ill at work.
Donald Mitchell
Colleagues' quick actions save life
By JOAN DEMIRJIAN
Quick thinking helped save the life of a Bainbridge Township employee, according to the Bainbridge Fire Department.
When Bobbie Nichols, township bookkeeper, and Shane Wrench, assistant zoning inspector, noticed Donald Mitchell, Town Hall property superintendent and cemetery sexton, was having difficulty talking in the morning on July 28, they called paramedics from the fire station.
He was transported to Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights, where he had emergency surgery for a hematoma that caused swelling, pressure and bleeding on the brain.
Mr. Mitchell has worked for the township for 16 years and is a lifelong resident of Bainbridge.
Assistant Bainbridge Fire Chief Wayne Burge said, "I give Bobbie and Shane much credit. Recognition of the symptoms is most important and the first step in summoning help.
"They recognized a problem and called the fire station right away, getting the ball rolling. And the rescue crew did a fantastic job when they took over.
"Everyone, from the Town Hall personnel to the fire department and surgeons at Hillcrest worked together to save him," Mr. Burge said.
Signs of stroke, anneurysm in the brain or in this case, a hematoma, include slurred speech, inability to complete a thought, facial droop, numbness and weakness on one side of the body and confusion, Mr. Burge said.
The fact that the incident occurred at Town Hall, where there were people around him to recognize the symptoms and to make the quick decision to call in paramedics made the difference between life and death, he said.
"I thanked both Bobbie and Shane for saving his life," Mr. Burge said. "They recognized something was wrong and immediately acted on it."
Fire Chief Brian Phan said Mr. Mitchell was in good hands. "Don was fortunate he was with people who were so watchful. He needed immediate transport."
"I'm just glad we were there," Ms. Nichols said. "Anyone would do the same thing. It's a matter of being aware of what to look for," she said of the symptoms.
She said of the fire department, "Those guys were great. They do a fantastic job."
At the hospital, a cat scan was done and doctors saw the bleeding and got him into surgery right away, Mr. Burge said.
"Don is such a great guy," he said. "He is always willing to help everyone out. He has a guardian angel and everything fell into place, and that's why he's here.
"If someone had waited on this, he wouldn't have been with us," Mr. Burge said.
Mr. Mitchell is a 40-year veteran of the fire department. Although he no longer goes on calls, he is always assisting the department.
His wife, Pat, said they were told by their doctor that "in another hour he would not have been with us." Timing was everything in the matter, she said.
The hematoma could have been caused by a bump on the head, she was told.
"Overwhelming" is the way she described the work of the fire department in getting him to the hospital.
"I can't say enough about the service the fire department provides for this township and what a great job the hospital has done to help him recover as much as he has," Mrs. Mitchell said.
David Mitchell, Donald Mitchel's nephew and manager of the Centerville Mills Park properties, thanked Ms. Nichols and Mr. Wrench "for what they did." He noted at Monday's trustees meeting that the surgeon at Hillcrest was leaving that day but stayed to perform the surgery.
He is out of intensive care, he said and is "worried about what's happening at Town Hall, including the blood drive that was scheduled at the hall."
Mr. Mitchell is active in a number of areas, including the Masonic Lodge in Chagrin Falls, and he is a member of the Chagrin Falls and Bainbridge historical societies as well as the Historical Engine Society.
At Town Hall, Mr. Mitchell oversees and sells cemetery lots, and he monitors scheduling for the Burns Lindow Building and Town Hall.
His duties are being covered by Town Hall personnel, including reservations for Town Hall and the Burns Lindow Building.
On Monday, Trustee Linda White extended recognition to Ms. Nichols and Mr. Wrench, thanking them for their quick response.
She said Mr. Mitchell's work is appreciated by Township Trustees. "And everyone has stepped forward to fill in.
"The trustees and the whole community thinks a lot of Don. He is a caring and kind individual," she said. "He is much loved in the township and people are concerned about him."
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