“Speaks highly of his character:” Tigers defenceman Paranych comes to aid of woman in medical distress

Edmonton, Alta.- In an emergency, it can be difficult to be the person who chooses to step up and take charge.

But that’s exactly what Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Matt Paranych did when he came across a woman in medical distress on August 19, 2024.

The 17-year-old was driving to meet his friend, fellow WHLer and Everett Silvertips forward Julien Maze, when he came across the unnerving scene in a bustling Southwest Edmonton neighbourhood.

A car was parked in the middle of the boulevard with a woman slumped over the wheel.

“My first thought is like, ‘She could be passed out or having a seizure or something,'” Paranych recalled. “I just kind of kicked in and my first instinct was to go help her…She was in a lot of distress, could barely talk… She was in a lot of pain and she was really pale, like no color to her skin… It was scary, she couldn’t even move.”

Paranych immediately called emergency services and tried to keep the woman calm by encouraging her to stay still and counting her through breathing exercises.

While he waited for an ambulance to arrive, he also called Maze, whose father, Jerrid, is a detective with the Edmonton Police Service, and asked them to come help.

“The fact that he took what he knew and was able to help her just by having her breathe and stay calm with him, makes the situation for first responders that much safer,” Det. Maze said.

The woman was still conscious when the ambulance arrived and Paranych was able to give her a last assurance that she’d be alright before she was whisked away and he gave a statement to police.

EPS confirmed the woman was transported to hospital and received treatment before being released, while a bystander noted that the woman had been there for about half an hour before someone stopped to help.

“It’s not uncommon for people to not want to stop and help,” Maze said. “I think it very much speaks highly of Matt’s character that he noticed there was something wrong with someone and he took it upon himself to go and help that person.

“If you come across a person in distress or recognize a situation that doesn’t seem right, may need medical assistance, or may require the police, the best thing to do is call emergency services. Call 911, provide information about where you’re located, and describe what you’re seeing. If it’s safe to do so, you can approach that situation and- just like Matt did- simply ask them questions. If they need help or if they’re in distress, they’ll probably let you know, or if someone’s unconscious, you’ll know as well.”

Paranych believes his upbringing and hockey training have helped him become a person who would step up in any situation.

“Especially when you’re playing, you’re in a fast environment, there’s a lot of things going on, and you’ve got to be able to move quick and think at high speed and be calm under pressure,” Paranych explained. ” So (it) definitely, definitely helped. I wasn’t anxious, you know, I was calm when I was talking to her.

“It’s all instinct and if something like that ever happened to me, I would want someone to come there right away and help me out.”

Now, he’s shifted his focus to his second season with Medicine Hat.

Paranych scored his first WHL goal in the Tigers’ season-opening victory against the Edmonton Oil Kings on September 22 and the Central Division heavyweights will look to improve to 2-0 when they hit the road to face the Red Deer Rebels on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7:00 p.m. MST.