Lifesaving Award - Annetta Crawford

Every year, Michigan Department of Corrections staff complete CPR training as part of their in-service requirements. For many on the front lines, those skills are put into practice more often than people might expect. The portion focused on infant CPR is often taken in hopes it never has to be used, but in this case, it became the difference in saving a newborn’s life.

Lifesaving Awards have been presented before to MDOC staff who have stepped in during medical emergencies, but this is the first time one has been given for a life saved through infant CPR. This moment stands as a first for the department and a powerful reminder of how every part of our training matters.

Annetta Crawford, a Word Processing Assistant with more than 25 years of service, relied on that very training to help save the life of a three-week-old child at the Macomb Probation Office. In this short video, Annetta recounts the moment in her own words. She speaks honestly about the weight of the experience and how it changed the way she views CPR training.

We are proud to share this example of quiet courage and the kind of everyday readiness that exists across MDOC.