Ray O’Connor, a Cleveland police officer in Carver Park Estates, experienced a brush with death while at a carefree and enjoyable school festival. Ray O’Connor went there to have a small chat with the children.
He was bitten by a bee, to which he is fatally allergic. Fourth District administrative sergeant Ray O’Connor was playing football with his kids when he decided to tell this to his friend, Brooklyn Barnes. Sgt. O’Connor had to suffer from anaphylaxis from this sting.
He had bites on both his wrists, left and right. He didn’t have his EpiPen with him at that moment, either. He was observed unconscious on the floor. That incident made others also aware of the life-threatening moment to which they were exposed at that time.
While the police officer was transferring to the police car for first aid, Tomika Johnson, volunteering at the festival, suddenly went home to bring his son’s EpiPen. After Officer Barnes gave that to his friend, he expected him to be stable until he received the proper medical treatment.
But life is unpredictable. Sgt. OConnor had already delivered his final words on the way to the hospital. He expressed his love to his fiancée and requested another officer to care for their dog.
Sgt. O’Connor was taken to St. Vincent Hospital, where he received essential medical treatment, and there he ultimately achieved his complete recovery.
Thanks to the lifesaving EpiPen, a tragic story had a happy ending.
Allergic reactions are unpredictable. It is a response from the body to a foreign substance. It may vary from one person to another. This foreign substance may be food, perfume, etc. In the case of Sergeant OConnor, it was a bee sting.
EpiPen is a treatment that is used in emergencies like this. It is called an epinephrine injection in life-threatening situations, like an allergen. People prone to allergens are asked to have an EpiPen with them.
Epipen makes breathing easier, restores blood pressure, and lowers the swelling in the neck and lips, giving you a quick recovery. An EpiPen can save your life.
Tomika’s son is ten years old and has many allergies. So, she knows how necessary an EpiPen could be. For this reason, she carries an EpiPen wherever she goes.
According to the Fourth District of the Cleveland Police Department, Tomika’s appropriate actions saved a life. Through that, strong respect for humankind is displayed.
Because of this, Tomika and his son won the Citizen Award in recognition of their courageous and generous actions in the community on October 6, 2022.
The view of Sergeant O’Connor on this is like this. He said he had never experienced such an event in his whole life.
He said he felt it very difficult to breathe. He knew this was the most severe stage after a sting. At that moment, he experienced his worst nightmare.
Tomika says following orders does not make heroes; acting wisely and accordingly could do more. That’s why a dire change is encouraging.
After Sgt. Ray O’Connor recovered from the hospital; he got a chance to meet Tomika Johnson. As Tomika’s son had his birthday not long ago, as an act of gratitude, Officers O’Connor and Barnes offered a gift card to the value of $100.
Actually, from my point of view, Tomika is an angel who came from God to save his life. If she were not there sometimes, Sgt. O’Connor would not be alive.
Tomika is a person who does everything good for humankind without expecting anything back.
It might be a coincidence that both Sgt. Ray O’Connor and Tomika Johnson were in the same place simultaneously. But this is an extraordinary example to show that superheroes are born everywhere.