Dr. Kylie Dunn in front of ARCOM.
A fun vacation to Charleston, South Carolina turned into a life-saving mission for Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM) graduate Kylie Dunn, DO as she jumped into action to help save a woman who had a medical emergency.
Dr. Kylie Dunn is a River Valley native from Alma, Arkansas and graduates from ARCOM on Saturday, May 18.
Dr. Dunn and a group of friends were celebrating life’s milestones in Charleston in April and decided to stroll through the historic City Market. Little did they know, fate had a different plan. As Dr. Dunn and her friends were admiring jewelry in a store, an emergency unfolded in front of them. “All of a sudden, right next to me a lady fell and hit the ground.” Dunn says the woman was suddenly unconscious and gasping for air.
Acting quickly, Dr. Dunn says she relied on her training from ARCOM and all of those instincts kicked into gear. “Of course, my natural reaction was to assess her and see if she was okay. I feel like this situation kind of gave me that reassurance and confidence in myself ahead of my upcoming residency,” Dunn reflected.
With the assistance of another woman, who happened to be a nurse, Dr. Dunn performed CPR on the woman for about 10 minutes. “We continued chest compressions until the emergency response team showed up,” Dunn said, describing the tense moments as they awaited further assistance.
Later that evening, as Dr. Dunn sat down for dinner with her friends, the weight of the situation lingered. Her concerns for the woman were soon put to rest when a police officer who was on the scene called Dr. Dunn to follow-up and let her know that the woman she had helped had survived. The outcome was nothing short of miraculous. “I just tried to rely on the training that I’ve had,” Dunn humbly remarked.
Dr. Kylie Dunn’s actions serve as a strong testament to the power of compassion and the impact one person can have in a moment of crisis. Dr. Dunn matched with her first choice Internal Medicine in Tyler, Texas. As she prepares to graduate and begin her career in medicine, Dr. Dunn’s unforgettable experience in Charleston will serve as a reminder of the difference she and all Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) students and alumni can make in the lives of others.
Dr. Kylie Dunn at dinner in Charleston, SC following the emergency.
