Emergency at DFW airport: nurse puts vacation on hold to save a life
While waiting to board a plane at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport, a Medical City Las Colinas nurse put her own vacation on hold to answer a lifesaving shout for help. Madie Wood, RN, an emergency room nurse came to the rescue of a man who suffered cardiac arrest in a terminal, while traveling back home with his wife. Because of her clinical training and quick reaction, Wood was awarded the DAISY Award, for nurses that go above and beyond.
Jeff and Laura Belles were traveling home to Washington D.C. after visiting their daughter in Austin. During a layover in Dallas, Jeff went into cardiac arrest and fell to the floor. Not knowing what to do, and surrounded by strangers, Laura called out for help. An American Airlines employee then called out for a nurse. Wood was several gates away, ready to board a plane and begin vacation when she heard the call and ran through the crowd. She immediately began CPR while another bystander pulled a defibrillator off the wall.
Laura described the tense moments saying, “There were so many people around him, I couldn’t see his face. All I could see were his legs and they weren’t moving. I thought I lost him forever, but then I saw Madie’s face. She was still fighting for him. When I saw her face, I knew there was hope.”
Jeff was transported by DFW International Airport Fire Rescue to Medical City Las Colinas to be assessed and then transferred to Medical City Heart & Spine for additional treatment. Five weeks after the ordeal, the couple returned to the airport and took their flight home. Before they left, they stopped at Medical City Las Colinas to meet the nurse whose selfless act saved Jeff’s life.
“As a nurse we take an oath to put others first and to devote ourselves to the well-being of others,” says Wood. “I did what any of my colleagues would have done in the same situation.”
The Belles will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in November 2025 and say they’re forever grateful for Wood and the entire Medical City Healthcare staff for their excellent and compassionate care.
In addition to Wood earning the DAISY Award, Medical City Las Colinas presented 2025 Life Saving Awards to the American Airlines employee and the DFW International Airport Fire Rescue team.