MRU alumna Megan Drouin saves life while on the job
One of Mount Royal University’s very own is being hailed a hero after jumping into an emergency situation and ultimately saving someone’s life.
Athletic therapist Megan Drouin, 23, was on the job at the Maritime Junior Hockey League Summit in Fredericton, New Brunswick, in August when one of the officials collapsed on the ice.
Immediately, Drouin jumped into action, along with another first responder, a firefighter, who happened to be at the rink. Together they assessed the referee, who had gone into cardiac arrest, began CPR, and called 911.
“You just go into autopilot at those points, hoping that all the skills you are trained to do come naturally. There’s no time to think or second guess. I basically blacked out and just jumped in where I could. All the responders worked well together and it was most definitely a team effort,” she recalls.
“I think I was calm in the moment because it didn’t feel real. I never thought I would have to actually use those skills. I didn’t think one of these cardiac events would happen when I was working.”
The ref, who doctors estimate was “dead” for nearly 12 minutes on the ice while Drouin and the firefighter performed life-saving measures, needed to be shocked twice with an AED before emergency crews arrived to rush him to the hospital.
“When the ambulance left I really had no idea what his status was. It was pretty hairy at some points and I didn’t think he was going to pull through,” she said, although there were some positive signs before the ref was taken away.
“The panic set in afterward, trying to process what had just happened, then you start to spiral going through everything you did and what could’ve been done differently.”
But this story has as happy of an ending as anyone could hope for: the ref has pulled through with no lasting effects from a lack of oxygen.
Drouin graduated from the Bachelor of Health and Physical Education — Athletic Therapy major at MRU in 2022 and has since worked for a number of sports organizations and events, including the U18 Women’s Hockey National Championship, working with Team Atlantic, and the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League.
“The athletic therapy program at MRU made the basics feel like second nature,” she says, explaining that the real-life simulations in the field classes are what truly get you into fighting shape.
“MRU prepared us as much as you can be ready for the real world. All of the practical exams and video reviews of scenarios allowed me to make mistakes in a safe environment, where later I was able to learn from them and never make that mistake again,” Drouin says.
Her former instructors aren’t surprised Drouin was able to keep a level head and take control in a stressful situation.
“Megan was an exceptional student. She had great attention to detail and this kind of intellect combined with the need to take action are the true qualities needed to succeed,” shares Mark Lafave, professor and associate dean of Research, Scholarship, and Community Engagement with the Faculty of Health, Community and Education.
“As her instructor, I appreciated her fun feistiness, because to me that meant that she is a strong critical thinker. Questioning not only solidifies your understanding, but also allows you to see different perspectives, generate strong rationale for your decisions and actions, and can make a person more efficient and innovative,” adds Dennis Valdez, an associate professor of athletic therapy.
Lafave explains MRU’s athletic therapy program prepares students to manage worst-case scenarios and students don’t get a passing grade if they can't, even if coming face-to-face with a life-or-death situation may be a rarity.
“No one truly knows how they will respond in the moment of need, but Megan was one that we definitely had confidence in her abilities to save a life. To say I am proud of Megan would be an understatement! I am also so happy to hear that she was recognized by the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association with the Merit Award given to athletic therapists who save someone's life. To me, there is no higher accomplishment or award an athletic therapist can receive.”
Valdez says the Summerside Western Capitals are incredibly fortunate to have Megan on their bench.