SPRINGFIELD, Mass., - Yvonne Armando received a Certificate of Merit from the American Red Cross March 17, for saving the life of a man in May 2025. Yvonne administered CPR and used an AED to save the life of a co-worker at the Stop & Shop in West Springfield.

On hand to present the award was Nia Rennix, Executive Director of the Red Cross Central-Western MA Chapter; and Nicole Barbosa, Community Disaster Program Manager for Western MA.

The incident occurred while the store was open to the public, which Armando said added complexity to the emergency response. She credited her certification in adult-pediatric CPR, first aid and automated external defibrillator (AED) use for allowing her to remain calm and focused on her colleague’s needs during the crisis.

Armando said she was surprised by her own ability to manage the high-pressure environment during the medical emergency. “I was pretty astounded that I was able to handle the situation,” Armando said. “Because you’re in a grocery store, right? There’s lots of people around, lots of people watching. But I was able to focus on what was happening, focus on Stanley and getting him the help that he needed.”