Emergency Room Worker Honored For Heroic Efforts To Save Patient

VALLEY STREAM, NY — A Valley Stream man praised a hospital worker at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream for saving his life.

The quick thinking of Hellene Ballesteros, 29, of Garden City South, an emergency room admitting representative was able to assess the situation effectively to get the patient, Charles Davenport, immediate treatment in December.

The patient is returning to the hospital, but this time to surprise Ballesteros as the hospital recognizes her heroic efforts on Thursday.

As the patient, a retired firefighter, saw how crowded the ER was last December, he told Ballesteros that he would not wait as the pain was too severe and would go to another hospital.

However, she intervened and made sure he received care without delay.

The patient was admitted with appendicitis and had to be rushed in for an emergency appendectomy.

Ballesteros is currently studying to become a nurse. Her mother Paola Rojas also works in the LIJ Valley Stream Hospital emergency dept as an emergency technician.