BC Nurse Saves Friend's Life With Quick CPR at Gym

A routine gym session turned into a life-or-death moment when nurse Skye Maynard suddenly collapsed from cardiac arrest in September 2024. Her friend and fellow nurse, Lara Kesteloo, immediately jumped into action with CPR that would save her life.

Maynard remembers feeling chest pressure during her workout, then nothing. "I thought I just got to go slow and then I'm going to walk, I'm going to stop, I'm going to sit and then lights out," she recalled. "That's the last thing I remember until waking up in the hospital."

The moment Maynard hit the ground, Kesteloo called for someone to dial 911 and started chest compressions. Working without the hospital equipment and team she was used to, Kesteloo relied on her training and instincts to keep her friend's vital organs supplied with blood until paramedics arrived.

"When you're in the community, that's where I don't have those resources," Kesteloo explained. She never imagined performing CPR on a friend outside the hospital, but her quick thinking made all the difference.

BC Emergency Health Services presented Kesteloo with a challenge coin and letter of commendation, one of the highest honors for first responders in the province. Noel Morton, an advanced life support paramedic, explained that the coin recognizes trained professionals who go above and beyond to provide lifesaving care.

Why This Inspires

This story reminds us that heroes don't always need capes or sirens. Sometimes they're right beside us at the gym, ready to act when seconds count.

Paramedics say CPR is the crucial first link in the chain of survival. "If quality CPR is being done, it ensures that the vital organs are getting the blood supply they need until first responders can come there," Morton explained. Without it, brain injury or organ failure can happen within minutes.

Anna Waher, another advanced life support paramedic, wants everyone to learn this lifesaving skill. "This can happen anywhere, anytime, anyplace in your home, out on the street where this event took place, or anywhere in our community," she said.

Maynard is alive today because her friend knew what to do and didn't freeze when it mattered most.