PHX Reporter

In a heartwarming tribute, the Phoenix Fire Department has honored Leigh Ann Sondrup with a Lifesaving Award for her courageous and selfless response to an unforeseen emergency.  

A six-year veteran nurse from Valleywise Medical Center, Leigh Ann acted quickly to help save a man who was injured while trapped inside a flipped cement truck on the Loop 101 and 143 interchange. Her quick thinking and expert training played a pivotal role in the successful outcome of this event. Arriving on the scene before emergency crews, Leigh Ann improvised by using a belt as a tourniquet, demonstrating exceptional resourcefulness to stop the man's blood loss.

Leigh Ann had just finished her shift in the Emergency Department at Valleywise Medical Center when she witnessed the accident. Now off the clock, she was en-route to her well-deserved vacation. But despite her plans, she found herself in the right place at the right time to help save this man’s life.  

Leigh Ann stayed with the driver, kept him calm and waited for firefighters and emergency medical services to arrive. He told me, ‘I’m going to die’. I said, ‘No you're not – you’re not going to die today’. If I can get you to my hospital, you're going to be OK.” The man was taken to Valleywise Medical Center and survived his injuries.

“It’s important for us to recognize the amazing work that Leigh Ann did,” said Captain Rob McDade of Phoenix Fire. “Getting off shift, stepping up, catastrophic emergency right in front of her, and she really affected the outcome of this person’s survivability.”

Original source can be found here.