Drug awareness group saves man from overdose at Cardinals game

ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) – At Sunday's St. Louis Cardinals game at Busch Stadium, someone was in the right place at the right time. And it saved a man's life.

An organization called Enough Is Enough partnered with the Cardinals on Sunday to raise awareness of the opioid crisis and remember those who have died from an opioid overdose.

Sabrina Wipfler leads the organization and coordinated pregame activities as well as a Stand Up To Cancer-style event to raise awareness about substance abuse. More than 250 people who have lost loved ones to the opioid epidemic attended the events at the game.

“We were there to raise awareness, to honor those who died and hopefully save a life. And we definitely did that when we were there,” she said.

At some point during the game, a young man appeared to be suffering from an overdose. He happened to be sitting in one of the areas where those associated with the organization were sitting.

Many members of the group had naloxone, the drug that reverses an opioid overdose. Hali Wilson checked the man's condition and saw that he was deteriorating.

“Twice I would say he was unresponsive, he wasn't breathing. He wasn't following his gaze, he was gone. He was gone,” she said.

Wilson said she gave him a dose of naloxone, which saved his life.

“It lasted about two minutes. I kept rubbing his sternum and talking to him when he somehow woke up,” she said.

Wilson said the man was able to sit up within minutes. Stadium medical personnel arrived shortly afterward and examined the man before taking him away for further evaluation.

Wipfler, whose nephew died of an overdose, said it was moving to see the man's life saved.

“It was definitely hard and emotional. I cried. I still do,” she said.

In June, Major League Baseball announced that it was working with the White House to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Going forward, all MLB stadiums will be equipped with naloxone and staff will be trained in its use.

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