Thank you to all of you Medical Runners! We had glorious weather, and a record number of runners showed up each day! Sunday proved to be a very busy day in the infield medical tent as well as along the course. At the end of this email is a response I received from a runner. I always say that you are all awesome, but it is nice to have others take notice as well! Please let me know who assisted the runner below- I received so many calls on Sunday, hard to remember, but I know I spoke to a female.

Again, thank you for all that you do. You DO make a difference and help the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and 5K be the premier race that it is, recognized around the world.

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I am reaching out to highlight several of your volunteer medical runners from this past weekend. I am a current physician at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and was unbelievably impressed with the efforts of several medical volunteer runners who were caring for a 29-year-old female who had a witnessed seizure during the race around mile 5.5. The care these volunteers showed during the race to protect the runner's airway, ensure that she did not have any aspiration events, alert EMS, and provide supportive efforts for nearly an hour until EMS was able to transport her very likely may have saved her life. They showed exceptional empathy and patience communicating with the runner's family while also demonstrating great skill with initial triage and development of a differential. Should they have not been around, I imagine it would have been entirely possible that the runner would have tried to run again or experience an aspiration event that could have resulted in serious complications.

Unfortunately, I do not have the names of the volunteers involved, but I wanted to make your organization aware in case you had not heard about the admirable care that your volunteers showed during the race. The runner could not have been in better hands during the race. If there is any way for your organization to acknowledge the efforts of those volunteers, I cannot recommend them highly enough.

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I have volunteered as a medical runner for almost twenty years.   It's not just running the event, which is a highlight during the spring in Washington DC.  But, running as a medical responder for what EVER is required.  Mostly, lumps, bumps, cramps, scraps, etc.  There have been times that runners have fallen and have required 'butterflies', but most runners are tough, and they insist on pounding the pavement even after such an event.  

Sunday April 7th was a beautiful, crisp morning, we got to DC at approx. 5:50am, walked to the medical tent, which is on the grounds of the Washington Monument.  We received our instructions, our medical vests, medical supplies in fanny packs, and honestly prayed that the race would go well and no one would require our care.

Hmmmm,  that didn't happen, as we ran into our first young runner at approximately 3.5 mi, short of breath, chest discomfort, and chest pressure.  Most likely 'exercise induced asthma', but we were able to guide her, slow her breathing down, and 'walk' her to EMS station that was nearby.  Multiple runners after this had cramps, we passed out a variety of oral 'remedies' that would assist them. 

Even a young woman that required a hair tie!  Boom:  Jamie Stern to the rescue.  

We had just approached the Thomas Jefferson Memorial when a runner literally grabbed us and said there was a woman down and asked if we could respond.  OFF we went, full sprint running (I'm old!!), but we arrived to find two NPs with a 29-year-old Columbian woman (Spanish speaking) turned on her right side, frothy blood-tinged sputum coming from her oral cavity.  She just had a seizure and was postictal.  One of the NP's was proficient in Spanish and was able to ascertain some history, the other NP was providing support.  The young woman was in a singlet and shorts, and I determined that her skin was quite cold, and we began to remove our extra garments and provide her some warmth.  Also, she provided comfort to her running companions who remained with her.

Why is this DAISY-worthy?  Honestly, everything about the day was DAISY-worthy for my team. They provided passion and compassion to every single runner especially those that required care. Empathy and encouragement to every single runner on the course.

Trust and teamwork. I couldn't have done this without Jamie Stern and Christine Keaveny.  They are absolutely the BEST, they provided calm cool care to each encounter assurance and reassurance to all runners, and especially to the ones that we cared for, AND to their friends and family love for patient care and nursing profession.  We loved donning the medical vests; we were thanked by multiple runners as we went by.  SO much pride for what we do, and who we are.

Selflessness. When you get up at 04:30 am, to ready yourself, drive to DC, to arrive by 6 am. . . that is a selfless act in and of itself!!

And then to end the day . . . my car had an event.  As provided in the pictures!!  UGH, but downtown, I am stranded with the two best nurses ever!!  What more could I want!! 

Although I was there and was a participant, it is my HONOR to nominate these nurses to represent UVA/Haymarket community health for the DAISY Team Award.  I am proud of them on a daily basis!!