THE CONVENIENCE YOU NEED THE CARE YOU DESERVE

Wallace’s nurse, Jessica Haas, who also is a parent, was leaving a parent-teacher meeting when her husband saw a woman collapse on the sidewalk in front of the school.

“He knew right away that it was something bad,” Haas says, “because he saw her go right down, didn’t try to catch herself or anything.”

The woman, Sarah Maupin, who also was leaving conference with a teacher, had suffered a cardiac arrest.

Haas rushed to help Maupin, who was unresponsive and without a detectable pulse.

Even though it was late, five members of Wallace’s emergency response team — executive assistant Shannon Young Domizio, assistant principals Lauren Bolack and Kendra Smith-Worthey, Audrey Clary and Haas — for various reasons happened to be at the school.

“Therein lies the miracle,” Haas says. Haas instructed the nearest of them to grab the A.E.D.

Within minutes Haas was delivering a salvaging shock to Maupin’s heart.

Though Maupin doesn’t remember it, thanks to the device and the well-trained responders, she had regained her steady heartbeat and consciousness before the ambulance arrived.

Maupin’s doctor told her how rare it was for someone in her situation to receive such quick and apt attention, and how lucky that made her.

“The results could have been detrimental,” Maupin says. “After 4 minutes [of unconsciousness following an attack] you can have brain damage. It could have been that, or even worse.”

Nurse Haas says she heard activist Laura Friend’s story a few years ago during a district first-aid training workshop.

“Her daughter died at a swimming pool, where there was an A.E.D. but no one knew about it or knew what to do,” she recalls. “We’ve all heard these accounts of people collapsing and dying even though an A.E.D. is on site.”

That nothing like that ever happens at an RISD property or event, she and her team members agree, is the goal.

President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the first American Heart Month in 1964. Ever since then, the month of February has been dedicated to cardiovascular health. Learn more about Heart Month, related events, local CPR classes and A.E.D.s at heart.org

WHAT GIVES? SMALL WAYS THAT YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR NONPROFITS

Run With Heart

Love the Loop, a Dallas Running Club 15k at White Rock Lake, is Feb. 4, beginning and ending at Winfrey Point. Also wanted: 5k runners and volunteers. Dallas Running Club is a Lake Highlands-based nonprofit that benefits various local causes, including providing yearly college scholarships to high school senior cross country runners. An annual membership fee of $25 is good for eight free club races, held the first Saturday of each month (except November and December) at 8 a.m. Non members can register for $10 at dallasrunningclub.com.

Shop And Purge

Buy books, DVDs and CDs for as little as $1. Proceeds benefit Richardson ISD’s council of PTAs Scholarships in memory of Dr. J.J. Pearce, which are available to all RISD students. The sale takes place Feb. 16-18, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and noon-6 p.m. Also on Saturday, Feb. 18, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. take advantage of the council’s recycling fundraiser, where you can rid you life of unwanted old cell phones, cameras, office equipment, entertainment electronics, clothing and accessories, video games, sporting goods and garden supplies, to name a few. It all takes place at the RISD Professional Development Center, 701 W. Beltline Rd.

Celebrate Music And Arts

On Feb. 26 White Rock area dweller

Erykah Badu appears at Deep Ellum’s Bomb Factory (owned and run by Lake Highlands’ Clint and Whitney Barlow) for her annual Badu Birthday Bounce , featuring live performances and special guests. Badu’s nonprofit B.L.I.N.D. aims to create social change through economic, artistic and cultural development. The all-ages show kicks off at 8 p.m. at 2713 Canton St. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets run $43-$58 at thebombfactory.com.