Noxon senior Haylee Wiedeman takes on life-saving project

Noxon High School senior Haylee Wiedeman had a clear vision for her senior project: To provide the school with vital medical emergency equipment and ensure that staff and local emergency personnel were trained to use it. 

Wiedeman raised $1,700 to fund the purchase of essential medical supplies for the school. But she didn’t stop there — she also set out to find someone who could train people to use the equipment effectively. Her hard work paid off last fall, when the first training class was offered to school staff and local emergency responders in the Noxon community. 

"What's the point of having this equipment if no one knows how to use it?" Wiedeman said. "That was kind of the point for my project." 

To make her vision a reality, Wiedeman received help from Sanders County Sheriff’s Detective Ethan Harvey, who assisted with acquiring the equipment and helping her along the way, along with Noxon resident Deputy JJ Bankhead. 

Both Harvey and Bankhead are certified instructors for a program called M.A.R.C.H. — a trauma training program originally designed for military use but now applied in civilian settings to assess and treat emergency trauma victims. The M.A.R.C.H. system covers five critical aspects of emergency care: 

M: Massive Hemorrhage—how to assess and stop bleeding using tourniquets. 

A: Airway—techniques for keeping the airway clear using a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) device. 

R: Respiration—how to apply a chest seal to treat traumatic chest injuries. 

C: Circulation—how to assess circulation and provide support. 

H: Hypothermia—how to control body temperature in emergency situations. 

The second class, held in late November, focused on hands-on learning. Six staff members participated, practicing tourniquet application, victim assessment, and emergency self-care techniques. 

"Part of my project I have to prove that you are learning new things," Wiedeman explained. "When I turn 18, I’ll be a licensed instructor, and I think it’s a good skill to have under my belt and be able to teach others." 

Wiedeman plans to continue her education this fall at North Dakota State University. 

    Noxon first-grade teacher Lara Oldenburg learning how to apply a tourniquet. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)