Toledo: Medical assistant feels great about saving girl s life

2/26/2004

A Toledo woman was at the right place at the right time Feb. 15 when she made a life-and-death difference in one little girl s life.

“I ran to her. Her cheeks were purple, she wasn t breathing, and I did [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] on her,” said Lorri Chapman, a medical assistant to a Toledo physician.

Dionna Roberts, 7, of East Manhattan Boulevard, was pulled from a hotel swimming pool that Sunday morning by an anonymous person. Ms Chapman of 2011 Crosswell Place then revived her, she said.

Dionna was staying with family members at the Quality Hotel, 2429 South Reynolds Rd. After entering the hotel s pool just after 10:30 a.m., the girl, who couldn t swim, was pushed or pulled down into the deep end of the pool, police said.

Toledo firefighters administered first aid at the scene before taking her to St. Luke s Hospital. She later was transferred to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center and released the next day.

Asked how it feels to save someone s life, Ms. Chapman said:

“Now it feels great. But at first I was upset, because hadn t I been there, she wouldn t have made it.”