[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 6258-6259]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                  TRIBUTE TO MARY ELIZABETH CUNNINGHAM

 Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute to 
a Connecticut resident who recently demonstrated extraordinary 
capability and

[[Page 6259]]

heroism. Mary Elizabeth Cunningham, a resident of Niantic, who works as 
an emergency room nurse at Yale-New Haven Hospital, was flying from 
Chicago to Hartford on April 22. When she heard an announcement over 
the loudspeaker seeking the assistance of any medical professionals on 
board, she quickly volunteered to help a passenger experiencing 
respiratory difficulties. After successfully providing aid, Ms. 
Cunningham was about to return to her seat when she was asked to help 
another passenger, who had lost consciousness. While assessing the 
situation, she began to feel dizzy herself, along with other passengers 
and members of the flight crew.
  Despite the challenging circumstances, she did not panic but instead 
urged the flight crew to make an emergency landing, fearing something 
was wrong. The pilot swiftly landed the plane in Buffalo, and although 
17 passengers were later evaluated by medical personnel, it appears 
that everyone has made a full recovery. Had Ms. Cunningham not been on 
the plane to assist with handling the situation, that might not have 
been the case.
  Ms. Cunningham deserves the highest praise, not just for her choice 
to become a health provider, but for her speedy and decisive actions to 
help those in need and recognizing a potentially disastrous situation. 
I am particularly pleased to recognize her on National Nurses Day, when 
we recognize the essential services nurses provide in hospitals and 
communities all across the country. I know all of Connecticut joins me 
in honoring and thanking Ms. Cunningham for her exemplary performance 
in the line of duty.

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