Siegel Middle School, in Rutherford County Tenn., was one of the first to receive a new Victory-Bratcher First Aid Emergency Responder Bag from TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center on January 11, 2016.
The Victory-Bratcher First Responder Kits will be given to all Rutherford County Middle Schools in honor of local student Caleb Victory, a Siegel Middle School football player that was injured during a football game with a traumatic brain injury on September 1, 2015. Heather and Art Bratcher were the first medical personnel on the scene. They were attending the game and saw the event unfold on the field.
“Heather Bratcher and her husband, Art, happened to be in the right place at the right time,” said Kim Stoecker, principal of Siegel Middle School.
It was during this moment that Heather and Art realized they did not have the resources they needed to fully assist Victory medically. Using what they had available, they stabilized him until the Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services arrived.
“Knowing you have all the proper training to assist this patient while not having access to first responder emergency supplies left me feeling helpless,” said Heather Bratcher, director of emergency services for TriStar StoneCrest.
It was from this realization and watching Victory’s journey throughout his recovery that the Victory-Bratcher First Aid Emergency Responder Bag came to fruition. Heather, along with the TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center administration, realized that there is an opportunity to serve the community and ensure that every middle school in Rutherford County has access to medical supplies a first responder would need in any event.
“As a member of the community who sees the impact of sports-related injuries on a regular basis in our hospital, we certainly recognize the importance of having first responder kits available in in all Rutherford County middle schools,” said Lou Caputo, CEO of TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center. “We are honored to donate these Victory-Bratcher First Responder Kits to the middle schools within Rutherford County.”