The Canton Police Department will
join law enforcement units from across
the county in the national effort of the
Drug Enforcement Agency to remove
potentially dangerous prescription drugs
fromhomes.
The local effort will continue from 10
a.m. until 2 p.m. April 30 when unused or
expired prescription medications can be
placed in a drop box located in the lobby
of the Canton Police Department, 1150 S.
Canton Center Road. Drop offs are free
and anonymous, no questions will be
asked, police officials said.
Liquids and needles will not be
accepted and the prescription medica-
tions and drugs can only be accepted at
the police department during the estab-
lishedhours.
This initiative addresses a vital public
safety and public health issue, according
to national reports. Unused medicines in
home cabinets are highly susceptible to
diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of
prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are
alarmingly high, as are the number of
accidental poisonings and overdoses due
to these drugs. Studies show that amajor-
ity of abused prescription drugs are
obtained from family and friends, includ-
ing fromthehomemedicine cabinet.
The usual methods of Americans for
disposing of unused medicines-flushing
them down the toilet or throwing them in
the trash-both pose potential safety and
healthhazards, the national agency said.
For more information, contact
Community Relations Officer Patty
Esselink at (734) 394-5194, or the Canton
PoliceDepartment at (734) 394-5400.
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SSOCIATED
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EWSPAPERS OF
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ICHIGAN
P
AGE
7
April 21, 2016
B
ELLEVILLE
- C
ANTON
Canton police to participate in Drug Take Back Day
Delreesa Lyons is a woman who
understandsmulti-tasking.
The single mother of five and a grand-
mother of two also works full time and is
attending classes to achieve her para-
medic certification at Wayne County
CommunityCollegeDistrict.
While doing all that, the Canton
Township resident was recently honored
by the Henry Ford Health System in
Wyandotte for her contributions to
patient care and well-being, the first time
the award has ever been presented to a
student rather than a staffmember.
Hospital officials noted that while the
recognition awarded to Lyons is typically
reserved for employees, Lyons' dedica-
tionwas exceptional. Lyons, who is in her
second semester in the paramedic pro-
gram at WCCCD, agreed that like thou-
sands of single parents nationwide, par-
enting, working fulltime, while also
attending school is not an easy thing to
do. It is a full-time job, but Lyons said she
is up for the challenge.
Brandon Young, safety officer, EMS
and Emergency Preparedness Program
Coordinator at Henry Ford Wyandotte
Hospital (HFWH) and Lyons' supervisor,
couldnot bemore proud of her.
“The other week I received a card
written to “Dell” (Delreesa Lyons), and
the patient had nothing but incredible
praise for the young lady. She made a
tremendous impact on that patient and
their family,”Young said. “
Lyons said she was shocked to hear
that she had been recognized, but her
pride and dedication are evident in the
glowing smile shewears every day.
“When I talkedwithmy children about
receiving the Henry Ford Wyandotte
Hospital award, they were just as sur-
prised as I was, and they continued to
encourage me to pursue my goals and
trust inmy abilities.”
These abilities are far-reaching, as
Lyons works fulltime as a Patient Care
Technician at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital
in the Surgery Preparation Center and
attends school full time at WCCCD as a
paramedic student. She admits,
“Balancing work life, school life, and par-
enting is extremely challenging.” She had
worked locally in the healthcare field for
12 years before going back to school in
2015, and the change has not been with-
out its sacrifices for both Lyons and her
children.
Besides work and keeping her grades
at school, Lyons said she makes sure that
she devotes time to her family. She has
mastered the art of multi-tasking, she
said, and remains committed to her chil-
dren's personal well-being and academic
success while setting a great example for
them. “We all do our school assignment
or study as a family and run errands
together in order to get family time.
There is also time for fun, though. I carve
out a block of time during the weekend
and do something my children want
because they also have made a sacrifice
so that Imay attend school.”
Lyons has demonstrated a commit-
ment to teamwork that extends beyond
her school assignments and job responsi-
bilities, hospital officials noted.
“I explained to my children over a
year ago that I was returning to school
and that we all would have to sacrifice
what we want in exchange for what we
need and my children were very recep-
tive,” she added.
Anthony Arminiak, president of the
Downriver Campus where the program is
housed, said the Paramedic Program has
consistently produced graduates who are
not only knowledgeable about the poli-
cies, procedures, and algorithms neces-
sary to treat a wide variety of acute and
life threatening events. “But they are also
adaptable and highly skilled at adminis-
tering the appropriate treatments and
operating the equipment necessary for
life-saving resuscitation efforts prior to
arriving at a hospital,” said Arminiak,
who also serves as Chief Academic
Officer and Provost for the Michigan
Institute for Public Safety Education
(MIPSE).
“Some of themost important skills and
qualities to have as a paramedic are the
most difficult to attempt to teach - com-
passion, empathy, and the ability to estab-
lish a rapport with patients,” Arminiak
said of Lyons' award.
Lyons has embodied these character-
istics and represents the type of student
thatWCCCDstrives to develop, he added.
Student wins prestigious hospital award
Brandon Young, EMS and Emergency Preparedness Program Coordinator at Henry
Ford Wyandotte Hospital, congratulates Canton resident Delreesa Lyons on her award.
