Community Corner
Marlborough Woman Awarded For Saving Life At Thrive
Michelle Lariviere was one of two winners of this year's Thrive Support and Advocacy Standing Ovation awards.
Press release from Thrive:
Dec. 8, 2020
Thrive Support & Advocacy, a nonprofit empowering youth and adults with developmental disabilities, today announced its inaugural Standing Ovation Awards, a celebratory initiative created to recognize outstanding staff members and extremely supportive community partners.
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The first of the planned annual awards went to employee Michelle Lariviere of Marlborough, a longtime residential program director who saved the life of an individual earlier this year, and SLH Medical Supply, a Webster business that provided much-needed Personal Protective Equipment to Thrive when the COVID-19 pandemic hit last spring.
“While Thrive is blessed with many dedicated staff members and valued community partners who consistently exceed our expectations for care and compassion, Michelle and SLH Medical Supply went above and beyond in their actions to profoundly and positively affect the lives of others,” said Sean M. Rose, President & CEO of Thrive Support & Advocacy. “I could not think of more engaged and inspiring recipients of our first Standing Ovation Awards. They demonstrate what it truly means to be a Thriver.”
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Lariviere joined Thrive nearly 30 years ago and oversees 13 individuals and 15 staff members in a Marlborough community residence. In February, she noticed a resident in distress and, when the individual suddenly collapsed in cardiac arrest, Lariviere sprang into action by calling 911, starting CPR, and utilizing the in-house defibrillator, with assistance from another staff member. Thanks to their quick response, and treatment by paramedics, the individual completely recovered.
SLH Medical Supply stepped up last March after Thrive put out a call for Personal Protective Equipment, which had become scarce as the coronavirus pandemic spread across the nation. Thrive faced more challenges in obtaining PPE as it competed with other, larger entities with greater access to supply chains and funding sources. SLH and its CEO Michael Pelletz had no previous relationship with Thrive but quickly secured much-needed masks, gloves, gowns, sanitizer and other PPE supplies for the organization. The actions of SLH helped saved lives at a crucial time.
This press release was produced by Thrive. The views expressed here are the author's own.
