Ladonna Davis
Licensed practical nurse, Community Care
On March 8, 2019 Ladonna Davis sprang into action when she encountered an unconscious man outside of a Walgreens store in Milwaukee, stabilizing him until emergency responders arrived on the scene.
Davis, a licensed practical nurse at Brookfield-based Community Care, Inc., was exiting the store when she heard a woman scream for help. Davis approached the woman and found a pale, lifeless man in the driver’s seat of a car. Davis pulled the man from the vehicle and placed him on the ground to perform CPR. Davis informed the woman that she was a nurse and asked if the man had taken anything. The woman said he had done heroin.
Davis instructed another person to retrieve Narcan – an emergency treatment used to block the effects of opioids – from the Walgreens pharmacy, while she continued performing CPR. Davis then administered the Narcan and, within minutes, the man’s breathing returned to normal and he became alert. The Milwaukee Fire Department then arrived on the scene and provided the man with medical attention.
Davis’s lifesaving response was captured on video, posted to social media and viewed more than 3 million times. She was later recognized by Milwaukee police chief Alfonso Morales and Mayor Tom Barrett during MPD’s 2019 Merit Award Ceremony.
Davis said she hopes her actions will raise awareness of the importance of CPR training. She will soon receive her degree to become a registered nurse.
