Byrne and her sister Nicole Kelly are both committed to helping other people. Byrne works as a firefighter and paramedic, while Kelly works as a nurse. The siblings jumped into action to save a passenger on a flight from Boston to Fort Myers.
The passenger was unresponsive in the bathroom.
The sisters were on the JetBlue flight and after the flight attendants made an announcement on the aircraft’s intercom system requesting assistance from anyone with a medical background, the sisters and another firefighter from Florida stepped up to help.
They assessed the woman, who was unconscious and struggling to breathe, and determined that she was having a diabetic emergency. The woman reportedly had grayish-blue skin and a faint pulse.
They moved the woman into a sitting position to help clear her airway and fed her sugar packets, which helped her regain consciousness.
The plane had been traveling from Boston Logan International Airport to Southwest Florida International Airport when the emergency took place.
The first responders did not leave the woman’s side until the aircraft landed in Fort Myers, at which point she was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Neil McPherson, the Wayland Fire Chief, commented that “Incidents like these are what first responders and medical professionals train for. Seeing this training and professionalism kick into action beyond our small community and in an environment with limited resources is a proud moment for the department that made a difference in someone’s life. I commend and Nicole for working together and utilizing both of their unique skill sets to take this swift, lifesaving action while flying aboard an aircraft”.
