Molly awarded for lifesaving CPR in a local cafe
When 73-year-old Jim Ellis suffered a cardiac arrest at his local café – just a week before Christmas last year – it was the perseverance and first-aid training of Molly Coldwell that saved his life.
Molly, an employee of the Over Bored cafe in Hillarys where Jim regularly visits with his cycling group - The Hash House Harriers – saw Jim collapse and immediately began working in tandem with a second café patron to keep Jim alive. “I froze for a few seconds,” Molly – who is in her final year of studying to be a nurse – recalls. “I had a few moments thinking, ‘Can I do this?’ But then I just jumped into it.”
For 40 minutes, the two women tirelessly performed CPR on Jim, also administering the defibrillator. When the paramedics arrived, they said Jim’s prognosis wasn’t good – but Molly refused to give up.
Jim was taken to Joondalup Health Campus, and then transferred to Sir Charles Gardner Hospital, where he was put in an induced coma for four days. Jim did make a full recovery, with a defibrillator implanted, and was discharged on December 28.
A few weeks later, Jim returned to the café, where he ordered a cup of tea from Molly. “It was really intense!” Molly says. “I started shaking and got really emotional. I’d been told that Jim had recovered, but to see him there in front of me was incredible.” As Molly took Jim’s tea to his table, The Hash House Harriers stood up and gave her a rousing reception, thanking her for saving their friend.
Without Molly’s fast actions and quick thinking, Jim may not still be here today – a fact that he’s well aware of. “Those ladies saved my life,” Jim says. “They continued even after the paramedics said it was over. Molly is absolutely fantastic.”
See the full list of our amazing 2017 Bravery Awards recipients, and learn how to nominate a hero for next year's awards, at the link below.
