On Thursday, January 25, the American Red Cross presented Grant Hansen with a Certificate of Merit –one of the highest awards presented to an individual who saves or sustains a life by using skills and knowledge learned in a Red Cross Training Services Course. The certificate bears the signature of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, as the Honorary Chairman of the Red Cross and Red Cross Chairman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter.

In addition, both Maxat Niaz and Christopher Thatcher received the Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders during the ceremony. Their action exemplifies the highest degree of concern of one human being for another who is in distress. The certificate they received bears the signatures of the President and CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail McGovern and Chairman Bonnie McElveen-Hunter. The awards were presented by Jack McMaster, President, American Red Cross Training Services; Rosie Taravella, CEO, American Red Cross New Jersey Region, and Sara Huisking, Executive Director, American Red Cross of Northern New Jersey.

Grant Hansen - Certificate of Merit

Grant is a former product director for the American Red Cross Workplace Safety Program. Grant has always believed in the importance of being trained in CPR and credits his training for being able to save a man’s life last year.

While attending a friend’s barbecue on a hot, sunny day last summer, Grant and other partygoers noticed that his friend’s father was slumped over in his chair. “He is a jokester,” says Grant, “so he could’ve been kidding.” However, once Grant noticed that his friend’s father had become incontinent, he knew the situation was serious. This is when his CPR training that he received from Red Cross became integral.

“All of the training I had kind of just kicked in immediately,” recalls Grant.

Acknowledging how scary the situation was, Grant was still able to take control of the scene despite the atmosphere of fear and panic that had settled over the party.

Immediately, Grant instructed someone to call 911 while the man’s son helped Grant put the man in the recovery position. Grant monitored his breathing, which at times was gasps, and at times shallow. Grant remembered that gurgles may be just as bas as not breathing, so he remained extra attentive. After a couple of minutes, the man’s face and ears turned completely purple. The man showed no signs of life, no breathing and a heartbeat could not be detected.

After rolling the man on his back, Grant asked the man’s son for permission to do compressions. As Grant got into position, the man took a big breath and continued breathing on his own. About a minute later, the ambulance arrived, and the man started to regain consciousness. Grant’s quick actions that day led to the man’s eventual recovery.

Grant Hansen is grateful and honored to be nominated for this award, but what he truly desires is to bring public awareness to the importance of CPR training. When asked how he feels about receiving this award, he responds, “It’s not the award itself…if I can share the fact that I got it, and why I got it, hopefully it will encourage others to get trained so that if they’re in a situation like that, they can feel prepared.”

Maxat Niaz and Christopher Thatcher - Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders

The Princeton-Blairstown Center has provided adventure-based, experiential education to youth from marginalized communities for more than 100 years. A day out on the water during their Summer Bridge Program could have had a very different outcome if not for the actions of Maxat Niaz and Christopher Thatcher.

Last July, El, a 14-year-old Summer Bridge Program participant had just been launched in her canoe with Jay, another participant.

Chris Thatcher, a Senior Lifeguard with the organization, was already on the water in his canoe when he and other staff members heard Jay screaming from the boat that El was having a seizure and needed help. The boat was about 100 yards from the shore and El, seated in the stern of the canoe, had bent at the waist and her head was submerged in the water.

Maxat Niaz, a Summer Bridge Program Facilitator and Lifeguard, immediately swam to the boat and brought El's head and chest above water. He checked her pulse and breathing and once he had determined that both were present, he pulled the boat back to shore.

Meanwhile, Chris instructed the shore to be cleared of all boats and participants and then supervised the few boats that had begun their paddling adventure to return to shore with speed and safety. Once everyone was on shore, Chris and Maxat rechecked El's vitals, placed her in a recovery position, and monitored for shock and other basic medical needs as a chaperone from her school administered her personal seizure medication.

El took approximately 30 minutes to become verbally conscious, in which time, Maxat remained at her side and kept her calm with verbal reassurance and a fidget toy. Maxat and Chris also helped El by shielding her from the sun and providing her with dry clothes and blankets while she rested and waited for her parent to pick her up and take her home. Later in the afternoon, both lifeguards checked on Jay to see how he was feeling after the endeavor, as well as all of the other students from the school.

Without a doubt, the skills Maxat and Chris learned with American Red Cross Training Services helped to save young El’s life. Unfortunately, Christopher Thatcher was unable to attend the ceremony.

National Lifesaving Awards

After 110 years, the American Red Cross Lifesaving Awards program, originally conceived as one award in 1911, has since evolved into three: The Certificate of Merit, The Lifesaving Award for Professional Responders, and The Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action.

The first was awarded 1911 in recognition of first aid work rendered by railway men who helped save a life. From 1911, thousands of awards have been issued to individuals who have saved or have sustained a life, many as a direct result of American Red Cross Training Services programs.

If you or someone you know has used skills and knowledge learned in an American Red Cross Training Services course to help save or sustain the life of another individual, you can visit LifesavingAwards.org to nominate, recognize, or be inspired.

Volunteer Raquel Wynter contributed to this story