Heroes are all around us. They are our family members, friends, colleagues and even pianists. No matter their background, they are brave individuals courageous enough to step forward to act quickly and decisively during a crisis.

The American Red Cross North Texas Region honored two North Texas heroes before a concert presented by The Cliburn at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. North Texas Region CEO Linda Braddy presented Kathy Abrahamson and Noah DeGarmo with the Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action for their efforts to help save the life of Ken Iisaka.

“Kathy and Noah, you exemplify the mission of the Red Cross to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies,” Braddy said as she presented Abrahamson and DeGarmo with their certificates. “We commend you for your willingness to help others in distress.”

On October 15, 2023, Iisaka collapsed after performing a piano recital during the Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition at Van Cliburn Recital Hall in Fort Worth. He was going into cardiac arrest. Abrahamson, who is a nurse practitioner, rushed to Iisaka’s side and immediately began administering CPR to her fellow amateur pianist. DeGarmo, an emergency medicine physician at Arlington Memorial Hospital, joined the effort. When the EMS team arrived, DeGarmo directed them to take Ken to a regional hospital equipped to treat him.

Iisaka was in the intensive care unit ICU for nine days. He spent the next 11 days in the cardiac ward before the hospital discharged him. He nominated Abrahamson and DeGarmo for Red Cross Lifesaving Awards and helped coordinate efforts to recognize them at The Cliburn concert on November 16, 2023.

“My complete recovery is a testament to the importance of an early intervention. If the CPR was delayed by even a minute, the chance of my recovery would have diminished greatly,” Iisaka said. “My heart was not defibrillated until I arrived at the hospital some 40 minutes after my collapse. It was even considered miraculous that I was defibrillated at last, but a lot of credit goes to Kathy and Noah for their rapid response.”

The Red Cross created the Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action in the 1950s, and it is the second oldest of the Lifesaving Awards. The Red Cross bestows it upon individuals lacking Red Cross training who step up during an emergency. Since 2018, the Red Cross has recognized and honored more than 2,000 individuals worldwide with Lifesaving Awards. These individuals, like Abrahamson and DeGarmo, have helped to save more than 1,000 lives.

“[Nominating Abrahamson and DeGarmo for] an award was a way to show my appreciation for how my friends jumped in and saved my life, but my experience was also a case for everyone to become trained in basic first aid, CPR and AED,” Iisaka said. “Though Kathy and Noah were highly trained medical professionals, not everyone would be so fortunate to be surrounded by physicians and nurse practitioners as I was.”

The Red Cross hopes the heroic actions of Kathy Abramson and Noah DeGarmo to help save the life of Ken Iisaka serve as inspiration to others to take a training course in lifesaving skills.

“I have received training from the Red Cross for first aid, CPR and AED,” Iisaka said. “I have also learned that several of my friends have also received training inspired by my experience. Of course, I hope it’s not a skill I will have to use, but should someone need it, I will be available.”

Get Trained

Red Cross training gives people the knowledge and skills to act in an emergency and save a life. Various online, blended (online and in-person skills sessions) and classroom courses are available at redcross.org/takeaclass.

Nominate Someone

People can go to LifesavingAwards.org to nominate and recognize an individual or group of individuals who have used the skills and knowledge learned in an American Red Cross Training Services course to help save or sustain a life.