Bryn Mawr, PA – May 11, 2017 – When Barbara "Annie" Fitzpatrick receives her college diploma Saturday, May 13, someone special will be there to greet her at the other end of the stage. You could call him a life saver, in every sense of the word. Officer Jeff Sullivan of the Lower Merion Township Police Department will shake FitzPatrick's hand, who completed the coursework to obtain an associate's degree in science, at the top of her class. Just 16 months earlier, he and Officer Rob Whitt saved her life. FitzPatrick suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition called Long QT, the same one that has taken the lives of perceived perfectly healthy athletes who die on the field and court. Officer Sullivan pulled into the parking lot just after she collapsed and administered CPR. Officer Witt pulled in immediately after and the two provided life-saving procedures in tandem that saved her life. FitzPatrick was an Animal Center Management major at Harcum when she collapsed. Following a lengthy recovery, she resumed her studies at the independent private college, and is finishing as the top student in her major with a 4.0, and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges. She credits Harcum for helping her resume her studies seamlessly once her health permitted returning to school. She was particularly aided by Harcum's Financial Aid Department and most especially by her Animal Center Management Program Director Linward Robinson, both of whom helped Annie press on toward achieving this milestone. She now advocates for organizations to obtain defibrillators. She will also continue her work to raise awareness of testing for Long QT. She is committed to obtaining a bachelor's in Environmental Science to enter the field of wildlife rehabilitation. Main Line Times reporter Richard Ilgenfritz reported on Fitzpatrick's finishing her studies at Harcum. The article is online and will appear in this Sunday's print edition. Some 447 Harcum graduates are expected to receive associate degrees and certificates on May, 13, 2017. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and is held on the Great Lawn of the Academic Center, Bryn Mawr campus. Harcum College awards associate degrees in science and arts as well as certificates.