Isabel Ricke & Phil Hunter, recipients of the Pola Flakowicz Award for Bravery, were honored for their heroic actions while visiting the Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. exhibition. When a child became unresponsive, Ricke, a nurse, and Hunter, a paramedic, immediately stepped in to provide life-saving care until emergency responders arrived, demonstrating extraordinary courage, compassion, and selflessness.
While visiting the Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. exhibition before departing for the airport, Isabel and Phil were deeply moved by its powerful reminder of lives lost, especially the countless children who perished during the Holocaust.
As they were leaving, that reflection turned into immediate action. A vehicle pulled up carrying an unresponsive child. Without hesitation, Isabel, a nurse, and Phil, a paramedic, rushed to help. Phil immediately began CPR while Isabel ran to retrieve an AED from inside the building. Working together with precision and urgency, they provided life-saving care until emergency responders arrived. Their quick thinking and expertise saved the child’s life.
In that critical moment, they had a choice. They could have continued to the airport and avoided the risk of missing their flight. Instead, they chose to step forward and act. Their decision reflects the very essence of an upstander, someone who recognizes a moment of need and responds with courage and humanity.
This act of service is made even more meaningful by Isabel’s family history. Her family in Germany took risks during the Holocaust to protect and save Jewish lives, a legacy of moral courage that continues through her actions today.
Phil and Isabel’s story is a powerful reminder that the lessons of history are not meant to remain in the past. They are meant to guide our actions in the present. In a moment that called for courage, they answered. Their actions embody the highest ideals of humanity and the true spirit of an Upstander.
Cohen Family Upstander Month is generously supported by Duke Energy, Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati Museum Center, and the Mayerson Family Foundation.
