Kitchener, Ontario woman searches for stranger who helped family say goodbye to her stepfather
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CPR would not have saved Ron Snook’s life. – but it gave his family the priceless gift of a proper goodbye.
“It would have been a different story if I had gotten that call at 1:09 (a.m.) saying he was gone,” he said. Renée Poirier, his stepdaughter.
“The person that took the time to give him that chance gave us the chance, gave our kids the chance to be able to say goodbye to grandpa.”
Late Night on New Year’s Eve, Ron Snook Collapsed suddenly along King Street in Kitchener.
The 65-year-old resident was suffering from severe kidney disease for a long time. He had survived many close calls in the past, but this medical episode was different. Potassium had accumulated in his body and his heart had stopped.
Snook’s family said she would have died if a bystander had not stepped in to give her CPR.
A Kitchener, Ontario, family wants to find a good man who performed CPR on their loved one, giving them a chance to say goodbye. Ron Snook, 65, collapsed on King Street on New Year’s Eve due to complications from acute kidney disease. Paramedics told her family that CPR from the unidentified man got Snook’s heart beating again and helped her survive for a few hours. This allowed paramedics to take him to the hospital, where his family said goodbye to him. The man’s stepdaughter, Renee Poirier, spoke to CBC KW’s Aastha Shetty about the importance of CPR and what saying goodbye meant for the family.
The family said the stranger’s kindness gave Snook a few extra hours of life, allowing paramedics to take her to the hospital, provide more medical attention and buy a little more time. Snook’s family then got a chance to surround her with warmth and love one last time, before her heart was broken again three days later and she died the following Tuesday, just before her birthday.
Poirier said her family is now on a mission to find the good man who performed CPR on her stepfather.
‘We have to say goodbye’
The search began with a Facebook post on a community group page. Victoria Lee, one of Snook’s stepdaughters, shared her story.
Lee addressed the Good Samaritan directly in his post, writing, “Because of you, because you chose to act at a moment when many people might have been stunned, our family was given an unimaginable gift, TIME.”
“In the midst of one of the hardest moments of our lives, your kindness and humanity gave us something we will remember forever. There are no words that can fully express our gratitude, but we would be so grateful to have the chance to thank you in person.”
(Victoria Lee/Facebook)
Poirier said his sister’s messages on social media haven’t yet helped him find the good Samaritan, but he’s hopeful.
“I want to squeeze them, and hug them and tell them how grateful our entire family is that we got a chance to say goodbye, and that it means the world to every single one of us.”
He said the incident highlights the importance of learning CPR.
“Being able to know how to do CPR can ultimately change someone’s life,” Poirier said.
“He could have died at that very moment left alone… but he was able to stay with his family because that person was able to perform CPR and get his heart started again, even if it was just for a short period of time.”
Poirier said his stepfather was well-known and well-liked in the Bridgeport area, where he was often seen performing acts of kindness, such as shoveling snow from his neighbors’ sidewalks or raking leaves in their front yard.
The Morning Edition – KW5:49Kitchener family thanks good Samaritan
A family is searching for the kind man who gave their beloved father CPR when he fainted on New Year’s Eve. That act gave the family a bittersweet gift they still treasure: the chance to say goodbye.
Importance of learning CPR
Lou Taddeo is the regional manager for St. John Ambulance Ontario, an organization that offers several first aid courses, including CPR training.
He said that as a medical first responder who has performed CPR many times in emergency situations, he had mixed emotions when he heard Snook’s story.
“We want to give everyone the best possible outcome for a successful recovery — not that that’s always guaranteed,” Taddeo said.
“It’s a happy story, but unfortunately, it’s also a sad story because you think about how many people don’t have the opportunity to say goodbye.”
He said stories like this emphasize the importance of learning how to perform CPR.
“You never know when you’ll be able to use these skills, whether it’s a coworker, someone at work, a family member or loved one, a neighbor, a friend,” he said.
“The best way to be prepared is to train.”
