Bill Cassidy Helps Sick Airline Passenger

Bill Cassidy

Pol Light Moment #73 is when Bill Cassidy helped a sick passenger on a commercial flight on April 7, 2014.  Bill Cassidy is from Baton Rouge and has represented Louisiana in the United States Senate since January, 2015. He served in the US House of Representatives and represented Louisiana's 6th District from 2009-2015.

On April 7, 2014, Bill Cassidy was on Southwest Airlines flight 2157 headed from New Orleans to Baltimore when he was awoken from his nap by an official call for the help of a doctor on the flight to assist a male passenger who had lost consciousness. Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor by profession who specializes in liver diseases, and another doctor on the flight helped the man regain consciousness. The plane then received priority landing and the man was able to get medical treatment on the ground.

More Information: You can find more information about Bill Cassidy helping a sick airline passenger in these articles.

• Doctor-congressman comes to aid of sick passenger
• Bill Cassidy puts on doctor's hat to treat sick passenger on Southwest flight
• Bill Cassidy helps ill flight passenger

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Photo: The photo of Bill Cassidy in this post is in the Public Domain.

John Kitzhaber Helps Save Woman's Life

John Kitzhaber

Pol Light #70 is when John Kitzhaber helped save a Portland woman's life by giving her CPR, when she had went into cardiac arrest on May 5, 2014.  John Kitzhaber is presently the Governor of the State of Oregon. He has served three terms as Governor during the years 1995-2003 and from 2011 to present.


KPTV - FOX 12

On May 5, 2014, Governor John Kitzhaber was on his way to dinner and driving through downtown Portland, Oregon at about 5pm, when he noticed a woman passed out along the side of the road. He asked his driver to stop and then went over to administer first aid to the woman. He gave her CPR and other medical attention until paramedics arrived to take her to the hospital. Governor John Kitzhaber is a former emergency room physician.

Paramedic Alan Ferschweiler, who arrived on the scene of the medical emergency, told The Oregonian newspaper,

"He was surprisingly calm, and you could see he went right back to the days where he was an emergency room doctor. To go and assist the governor and take over this patient from his is pretty surprising. It definitely took us off-guard (Huffington Post, John Kitzhaber, Oregon Governor, Performs CPR to Save Woman's Life, May 6, 2014)."

A news article at KGW.com - News Channel 8 in Portland has more information on Governor John Kitzhaber helping save a woman's life on May 5, 2014.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of John Kitzhaber is in the Public Domain.

Andy Harris Saves 2 Year Olds Life

Andy Harris

Pol Light Moment #26 is when Andy Harris saved the life of 2 year old Nathan Smith on August 26, 2012.   Andy Harris is a United States Congressman who has represented the 1st Congressional District of Maryland since 2011. Rep. Harris is also a physician and an anesthesiologist who works at Memorial Hospital in Easton, Maryland.

On August 26, 2012, Andy Harris took an alternative route because of storms and was driving on Route 50 in Talbot County, Maryland.  While driving on the highway, he saw vehicles pulled over along the side of the road but no damage to any vehicles. As he surveyed the scene he saw a 2 year old named Nathan Smith (the son of Brian and Jess Smith) lying on a blanket by the side of the road.  Harris then stopped to help.

Kevin Rector of the Baltimore Sun reported on the incident this way, "Harris said he knew the boy needed air, and turned him on his side and loosened his jaw to open his airway. At that point, the boy gasped, he said. An ambulance then arrived and took over the medical care of the boy (Baltimore Sun, 9/4/2012)."

Nathan Smith was discovered to have had a viral infection that caused him to have a seizure and stop breathing. Nathan made a full recovery after receiving medical treatment.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

The photo of Congressman Harris was taken from Wikipedia and is in the Public Domain as an official portrait of a United States Government official.