Hannah Van Tilburg, a librarian, said she remains grateful to assistant librarian Seve Orozco, who rushed to help when she collapsed.
"I gave him a big hug when I saw him and I said, 'thank you.' And he said, 'it's only my job.' But to me it's my life," Van Tilburg said.
The incident happened in the children's section of the Harry Bennett Branch of the Stamford Library. Orozco, who is trained in CPR, responded after Van Tilburg collapsed.
"Her head was this way, and I saw her face was blue, getting to purple," Orozco said.
Orozco began lifesaving efforts and focused on giving his coworker a chance to survive.
"My whole goal was that she have a fighting chance," he said.
At one point, Orozco needed to retrieve a defibrillator located upstairs. While he went to get the device, another patron took over chest compressions, allowing care to continue uninterrupted.
Denise Lyles, director of branch operations, praised Orozco's response.
"His training just kicked in, and, you know, he didn't hesitate, which I thought was great. Most people freeze or, you know, forget. He just went right in, and he helped Hannah, which was great," Lyles said.
Van Tilburg is still recovering from the cardiac arrest, which was caused by Lyme disease affecting the electrical signals in her heart. She was able to attend a ceremony honoring Orozco at Stamford Police Headquarters.
Orozco said seeing Van Tilburg recover has been the most rewarding part of the experience.
"She's on the road to recovery and she's doing great. And that's what makes me happier than like a lot of people say because of me I saved their life. Honestly, I would have done it for anybody. That's just my nature," he said.
Van Tilburg said the experience remains emotional.
"I still am speechless. Just every time. I saw him last night for the first time in a while, and it's very emotional," she said.
The ceremony served as a heartfelt expression of gratitude from both a coworker and the community for Orozco's actions.
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