Minnesota mom meets Allina Health EMS team that helped save her life

[WCCO, August 26, 2023] Those who work with animals often talk about their passion for it, yet it also comes with innate dangers. 24-year-old Buffalo, MN mom named Rachel Sands was trampled by a steer back in a March. The animal stepped on her chest which led to a tear in her heart and cardiac arrest. The odds were against Rachel but thanks to the quick, expert response by Allina Health EMS, she was able to be airlifted to Hennepin Healthcare/HCMC.

Just five months later, Rachel spent the weekend surrounded by family and friends doing what she loves - riding a horse. The community held a fundraiser for the family called "A Ride for Rachel" at the Buffalo Rodeo Grounds. It was also a chance for Rachel to meet the Allina Health EMS team that responded to help her. Rachel and her family thanked Chris Herron, John Liepold and Joseph Odell.

"The date of the call is engrained in my brain, probably for the rest of my life," Herron, an Allina Health paramedic, told WCCO-TV. "To say that she's a miracle is very much appropriate and is possibly even an understatement."