For Birdsboro-Union Fire Department EMT Erik Cleveland, the call of duty doesn’t end when he hangs his hat for the day.
Cleveland’s quick thinking and swift action helped him to save the life of a woman who was in medical distress at Shady Maple Smorgasbord and Farmers Market in East Earl Township, Lancaster County, in Oct. 2014.
Birdsboro Mayor Joe Peterson took time during the Jan. 12 Borough Council Meeting to honor Cleveland for his noble deed. Cleveland stood with Birdsboro-Union Fire Chief Scott Kulp in front of his fellow fire company members while Peterson gave an account of how Cleveland helped to save the life of 78-year-old Michelle Riviera.
According to Peterson, Cleveland was sitting in the parking lot at Shady Maple when he received a call from his wife, Christina, who was shopping in the market. Christina asked Cleveland to come inside the market because there was a woman who needed medical assistance. Cleveland grabbed his backpack that contained his emergency medical supplies and hurried to Riviera’s side.
Riviera appeared to be going in and out of consciousness, and she was nearly falling out of her mobility scooter. Cleveland was able to assess that Riviera was diabetic and was either suffering from low blood sugar, or she was in the process of having a stroke. As it turned out, Riviera was suffering from both low blood sugar and a mild stroke.
Cleveland had someone call 911 immediately while he attempted to stabilize Riviera. He gave Riviera much-needed orange juice and elevated her blood sugar quickly with a honey bun. Cleveland used his EMT training to assess that Riviera’s left side was weaker than her right side, which indicated she was having a stroke.
Cleveland was able to calm Riviera and Riviera’s granddaughter, who feared she was losing her grandmother, until the ambulance arrived and transported Riviera to a hospital.
Cleveland later found out Riviera indeed suffered a mild stroke. According to the medical personnel at the hospital, Riviera could have died or suffered much more damage from the stroke if it wasn’t for Cleveland’s assistance.
This was not the first time Cleveland has helped to save a life while he was off duty. In May of 2012, Cleveland resuscitated an 88-year-old woman at the Berkshire Mall while he was shopping with his family. Cleveland received the American Red Cross Medical Hero Award for his actions that day.
After giving the account of Cleveland’s life-saving effort, Peterson said, “Erik also served in the U.S. Army, and I’d like to thank him not only for his service to his country but also to our community. When I spoke to Erik about [being honored at a borough council meeting], I asked him what exactly got him involved with the fire department, and he gave me two answers. First, it was something he always wanted to do when he was a kid … The other was very simple yet very serious to Erik. He said all he ever wanted to do was help someone out when they were in need. Well Erik, you can check that off your list a couple times over.”
