Story of two city employees who saved a man's life

Sep. 5—At the Palo Duro Senior Center in Northeast Albuquerque, 66-year-old Kim Sears is known for always smiling and being ready to tell a joke at any moment.

"People get mad at me because I wake up in a good mood," he said with his trademark grin.

But on Aug. 16, Sears was not his joyful self.

One who dislikes wearing headphones, Sears often sits in some of the center's rooms by himself and listens to videos on his phone with the volume turned up.

"So I was sitting there watching my video and the next thing I know, I'm starting to sweat," he explained. "I realized this is not normal, and I stood up and walked out into the hall."

He caught the attention of center manager David Goode, who found Sears leaning against a wall in the hallway.

Goode asked Sears if he was OK. Sears told him he wasn't. Goode yelled for Manny Ibuado, a general service worker at the center, to help him.

"I went to get a chair and Manny called 911," Goode said. "We got (Sears) into a chair and he was losing consciousness quickly, so I threw him on the floor and started performing CPR."

Ibuado ran to grab the center's automated external defibrillator and a pillow from the library for Sears' head.

"By the time I got back to the room, David had already brought (Sears) back," Ibuado said. After performing five rounds of CRP on Sears, Goode was able to get him to regain consciousness.

Sears immediately wanted to get off the floor.

"We told him, 'Yeah, he's not getting up,'" Goode said.

The paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and took Sears to a hospital. He later discovered a blood clot had been blocking blood flow to his heart, which triggered the medical event. He had suffered another episode back in 2020, but his symptoms were different.

The paramedics and medical staff credited the quick and decisive actions of Goode and Ibuado for helping save Sears' life.

The two men in turn attributed their quick actions to life-saving response training they received two months before the event.

For their efforts, both men were recognized by City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn before a crowd gathered at Wednesday's Albuquerque City Council meeting.

"These two folks jumped into action and they saved his life," Fiebelkorn said.

Standing before the council, the men were humble in their response to the recognition and applause from the turnout. Both men have been called heroes by the public, a title they both aren't entirely comfortable with.

"Not me," Goode said.

But Sears said the hero fits perfectly for both.

"I can't call them my best friends — I don't know them that well. But I can call them my heroes," he said.