Nurse Saves Life of Football Fan

February 14, 2002 – Elizabeth “Liz” Devine, a nurse in the Weiss Center for Pain Management at John T. Mather Memorial Hospital in Port Jefferson, received an American Heartsaver Award from the American Heart Association “Operation Heartbeat Task Force” February 5 at St. George’s Golf & Country Club in Stony Brook. Ms. Devine used an AED device (Automatic External Defibrillation) to save the life of Robert Fitzpatrick of Massapequa who collapsed during a Chaminade football game at St. John’s University in Queens, where her son Daniel plays. Mr. Fitzpatrick’s twin grandsons also are on the team.

Ms. Devine was a spectator in the crowd when she heard a request for a doctor over the PA system. she responded and found Mr. Fitzpatrick on the ground with no pulse. She called out for someone to call 911, asked if there was an AED unit on campus and began CPR.

While Devine administered mouth-to-mouth, someone else started chest compressions. After about two minutes, an AED arrived – a physician attending the game had it in the trunk of her car. They shocked Mr. Fitzpatrick and immediately got a pulse. The ambulance arrived, administered oxygen, and took Fitzpatrick to the hospital where, Ms. Devine was later informed, he was awake and alert.

Ms. Devine resides in Port Jefferson with her husband, Michael. They have six children – Patricia, 26, Michael, 24, Meaghan, 18, Daniel, 17, Joseph, 15, and Kaitlyn, 12.