Bianca Evariste - Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport

A team member since 2008, Bianca is a lifesaver in every sense of the word. In addition to working in our New river News location, Bianca is a part of Miami Dade College’s Registered Nurse Program, and her experience was invaluable on a fateful day in February 2011.

A passenger sitting in the gate area of Terminal 3 fell to the floor in what seemed to be a cardiac arrest situation. It was brought to Bianca’s attention, and she immediately leapt into action, clearing the area of bystanders and attending to the man having what turned out to be a seizure. Quickly, she realized the man’s seizure seemed to have stopped, but so did his breathing. Thinking on her feet, she grabbed the Automated External Defibrillators unit by the women’s restroom.

She then took his cell phone and called the last person he had spoken to, his wife. Bianca asked for any medical history that may be helpful and advised the man’s wife to return to the airport. Removing the man’s shirt and jewelry, Bianca connected the AED unit and started to perform CPR. After two AED attempts, the man started breathing and woke up. He was disoriented and scared, wanting to get up, but Bianca explained what was happening and told him to stay put as help was on the way. Soon after, the airport paramedics and the man’s wife arrived. The woman thanked Bianca repeatedly. In Bianca’s own words after it was all over: “I thought I would chicken out, but this incident proved to me that this is what I want to do, help people!”