Feb. 11, 2009, King Township Sentinel Newspaper:
Bill Pitoscia of Nobleton is seen here in the middle of the four people who saved his life in September. Velma Ganassini presented Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Awards Friday night to Frank Mancini of Maple, Mary Anne Holmes of Palgrave, Mary Celebre of Nobleton and Serenella Del Peschio of Woodbridge.There are plenty of good reasons for learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and four area residents demonstrated that in September.
One of the results is Nobleton resident Bill Pitoscia is alive and was able to help thank them in person Friday night.
The four heroes were presented with Canadian Red Cross Rescuer Awards, in recognition of their quick action which saved a life.
The four recipients, who were recognized at a function at Veneto Centre in Vaughan, were Mary Celebre of Nobleton, Mary Anne Holmes of Palgrave, Serenella Del Peschio of Woodbridge and Frank Mancini of Maple.
Pitoscia was playing tennis Sept. 27 at the Veneto Tennis Club when he collapsed on one of the courts and went into cardiac arrest. His partner began calling out for help, and the four people responded, performing CPR on Pitoscia until the paramedics arrived on the scene and, fortunately, Pitoscia was revived and recovered.
“These four individuals have proven the importance of learning CPR,” commented Velma Ganassini, of SOS First Aid and Safety Training, a Red Cross authorized provider of training. “It works.”
“Knowing what to do in the early critical minutes can truly make a difference,” she added.
The Red Cross Rescuer Award is presented to non-professional or off-duty first responders who have volunteered to save a life, prevented further injury and/or provided comfort to the injured.
