Security Officer’s hidden skill helps family during medical emergency

“It started with a woman rushing in the front door,” said Marquez, who is affectionately called Manny by his team. “She was panicking about her (child). (The child) was covered in a blanket and appeared to have no movement.”

That terrified mother was speaking Spanish, creating a language barrier that Faribault Medical Center has systems in place to handle. The woman at the front desk called for a translator, but recognizing the urgency, Manny stepped in. First, he made sure the young child was breathing. Once he could feel air coming from the child’s nose, he immediately updated the mom in Spanish.

“I started talking to her and telling her (the child) was breathing. I was trying to calm her down. She was going into panic mode,” added Manny.

Manny, who is bilingual, says it is not unusual for him to translate between Spanish and English, but in this situation, he had to make sure his communication was clear for everyone involved. “I had to remind myself to breathe and relax because if I started talking too fast, someone might not understand me.”

The doctors and nurses spent hours with the family, as Manny worked to make sure the mom and the other child she brought along understood what was happening to their loved one. After the hours-long ordeal, the family left the hospital confident their child would be ok, while the medical team celebrated Manny’s translating skills and overall helpful and tranquil demeanor.

“I have a son with a disability,” said Manny, who is a father of four children. “He has a trach (tracheostomy) to help him breathe. So, some of the things I learned from caring for him, I used here,” said Manny.

Allina Health Security serves the entire system, including its 12 hospital campuses and more than 90 clinics in Minnesota and parts of western Wisconsin. So much of what they do is simply connecting with people and becoming a source of support during some of their most stressful moments.

“We're here to help, regardless of if we wear a uniform or not,” said Terry Bebeau, Security Supervisor at Allina Health. “We're here to assist you, to help you, to be part of the team, to make sure that you get all the care you need.”

As for that August night, Manny says he was just happy to be there to help.