[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 10 (Thursday, January 16, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E89]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CONGRATULATING LINDA ALWEISS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JULIA BROWNLEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 16, 2014

  Ms. BROWNLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to recognize a 
local hero, Linda Alweiss, from Camarillo, California.
   On December 30, 2013, Linda and her family were aboard a flight from 
Des Moines, Iowa to Denver, Colorado, when only twenty minutes into the 
flight, a call for medical assistance came over the intercom. 
Unbeknownst to Linda, the man in distress was the pilot of their 
flight. As Linda and another nurse, Amy Sorensen from Wyoming, were 
brought to the cockpit by flight attendants to assist in the medical 
emergency, they realized the gravity of the situation. The pilot, who 
seemed to be suffering from a blood clot or heart attack, was hunched 
over in his seat; his face was pale, his lips were blue and both nurses 
could barely get a pulse. They quickly realized that their pilot could 
no longer fly the Boeing 737 that carried 154 passengers. With the help 
of Linda's husband and another passenger, they moved the pilot to the 
galley where they hooked up an IV and set up a diagnostic 
defibrillator.
   Without hesitation, Linda rose to the occasion and quickly began to 
administer medical attention to the pilot. Although they were 30,000 
feet in the air, Linda acted with poise, professionalism and valor. Her 
selfless actions aboard that flight saved the life of the pilot and the 
safety of all passengers and crew members. As the plane conducted an 
emergency landing in Omaha, Nebraska, Linda and Amy stayed with the 
pilot until he was transported and taken into emergency care.
   Linda does not call herself a hero, but rather, someone who just did 
what she was trained to do. She is quick to give credit and attention 
to the other individuals who assisted; this shows her moral character 
and modest demeanor.
   Linda's background as a nurse is extensive and proved to be the 
saving grace that day. Linda earned her baccalaureate of science in 
nursing from the University of Iowa in 1983 and worked as a registered 
nurse at the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics. In 1984, Linda 
moved from Des Moines, Iowa to Southern California where she has worked 
as a charge nurse at Saddleback Community Hospital and later, as a 
charge nurse for the pediatric intensive care unit at Long Beach 
Memorial Medical Center. In 1990, Linda made the decision to focus her 
career on being an in-house Legal Nurse Consultant. For the next twenty 
years, she worked for the law firm of Magana, Catchcart, & McCarthy. 
Today, Linda is currently employed as a home health nurse for Buena 
Vista Home Health Care.
   Aside from her duties as a nurse, Linda is also a dedicated mother, 
wife and community leader. When her daughter, Sarah, attended 
elementary school, Linda was involved in the Parent Faculty 
Organization (PFO) for the Mesa Union School District, where she served 
as the President and Chairperson of the allocations committee for 7 
years. Linda is an exemplary role model and citizen. She continues to 
be active in the community and provides pro-bono legal nurse consulting 
and actively raises funds for charities, including the Avon Walk for 
Breast Cancer.
   For her selfless and heroic actions, I want to recognize and thank 
Linda Alweiss. She is a true hero in the hearts and minds of those on 
the flight, especially in the eyes of her family and community.

                          ____________________