Customer collapsed in a Texas Roadhouse washroom — bartender's paramedic knowledge saved her life

Any skills we have can be of impactful use in unimaginable ways. A Texas Roadhouse bartender, Virginia Lewis, was able to use skills she had learned a while ago to save a customer’s life, per WDBJ7. The woman was working her shift as usual when she abruptly heard people calling her name. To her surprise, she found a customer in the restaurant’s restroom in need of dire help. In a jiffy, she assessed the situation and professionally responded to render life-saving help. “I was over talking at a table and I heard somebody yell my name and then I heard multiple people across the restaurant start yelling my name,” the woman recalled.

Before she could comprehend what the situation might be, she was approached by another coworker. “We have an emergency in the bathroom. Like, we need you right away,” he said to the bartender. When she arrived, she saw a customer collapsed in the restroom and knew she had to intervene. The bartender’s first act was to get the customer to the side and check for a pulse. “Her pulse was very faint. I started to do a sternal rub and then she started to come around after about a minute or two of seizing,” the bartender explained.

According to EMS 1, a sternal rub is a technique used to understand the level of consciousness of a person. It is an act wherein pressure is applied to the sternum, i.e., the breastbone, to try and get some response from the person. Based on the response received, the measures to be taken can be assessed. Lewis knew this because she had exceptional medical skills that kicked in. Having been a paramedic for 10 years, the woman was aware of how to handle emergencies. Due to a career-ending injury, she discontinued her role as a medic but was happy to be of assistance even at the restaurant.

Once the woman became conscious, she professionally carried out the next steps. “We grabbed some orange juice just to get some sugar in her, in the event that it was low blood sugar,” the bartender said. She even asked her questions to understand what her state of consciousness was like. “I started asking her orientation status, ‘Did she know where she was, what her name was, what the day was?’ At that point, she was coming around and she knew that she had fallen,” Lewis explained. Eventually, the woman began to feel better and was moved to a hospital, shortly after which she was stable.

Lewis was glad to be able to use all that she’d learned to make a massive difference in such an unprecedented situation. In a post on Facebook. Lewis asked about the woman’s condition, hoping she was better. “I just wanted to check on the woman who collapsed and started seizing in our bathroom. You don't have to put your information on here, you can privately message me,” she wrote. She sweetly mentioned that she had been thinking about her that day and wanted to ensure she was okay. “I worked 10 years in EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and I will forever be grateful for the skills I gained in that industry — especially during times like today.” She also mentioned that she would love to “give her a hug” and shared a soothing message. “There are people out there who want to make a difference in people’s lives and want to try to better the world,” she noted.