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Celebrating a saved life are from left Deputy Warden Rogers, Lt. Dalmolin, Sgt. Penner, Gloria Waddell and Louie Ojeda.
It started out as just another day at work for Gloria Waddell in the kitchen at the Hayden Senior Center.
While eating something, a piece of food became lodged in her throat. She found herself unable to breathe or communicate with her fellow workers. The other people working in the kitchen saw what was happening but panicked and did not know what to do. Gloria was turning blue and felt herself, going limp and about to blackout. “I thought, this is it. I’m going to die,” Gloria said.
At that time a prison inmate worker, Louie Ojeda, who was working in the back of the kitchen, came to her rescue. Louie is a prison inmate from Arizona State Prison in Globe. He is part of an inmate crew that works at the senior center and for the Town of Hayden.
Louie, without thinking, went to Gloria’s aid and performed the Heimlich maneuver on her. It took two thrusts before the food in her throat was dislodged and she was able to breathe again. He had saved her life.
Louie has been working at the Hayden Senior Center for three years. He said that he learned the Heimlich maneuver as part of his training for the prison wildland fire crew that he used to be a part of. He is due to be released in 94 days.
Gloria Waddell says her family is thankful that Louie was there.
“He saved my life,” she said.
Gloria gets emotional when talking about the incident.
“It’s a very scary feeling,” she recounted.
Gloria said that her husband, the kitchen workers and the Town of Hayden wrote letters to thank Louie.
On Monday Aug. 20, 2018, staff from the prison in Globe, kitchen workers and members of the Waddell family honored Louie at the Hayden Senior Center. Deputy Warden Sammy Rogers from the Globe facility presented Louie with a framed Certificate of Appreciation.
“I am extremely proud of Louie,” Rogers said.
The certificate said it was awarded “for outstanding performance, in saving a human life and showing display of initiative, capability. Thereby earning the respect for himself, community and the Arizona Department of Corrections.”
Gloria spoke at the ceremony, tearing up, as she said, “Without him I would not be here. He is my guardian angel.”
John Hernandez lives in Oracle. He is retired and enjoys writing and traveling. He is active in the Oracle Historical Society. He covers numerous public events, researches historical features and writes business/artist profiles.
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