Air Force veteran was on her way to class when she learned elderly man was ‘turning blue’—she knew how to save him
Sometimes, a split-second decision can make all the difference between life and death. In one such remarkable instance at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, a student’s quick thinking and training helped save a man’s life during a cardiac emergency. Teresa Booker, a student in the USF College of Public Health, was on her way to class Tuesday morning when she heard someone shouting for help outside The Campus Grind, as reported by the University of South Florida St. Petersburg News Channel. A 67-year-old man had collapsed and was experiencing a heart attack. Booker, a 12-year Air Force veteran and trained dental assistant, immediately recognized the gravity of the situation and sprang into action.
“I’ve always wondered how I would respond if I ever needed to use my training in a real-life scenario,” Booker said. “This calmness came over me and I didn’t feel scared or nervous. The training just kicked in.” Booker assessed the man’s condition and began performing CPR, a decision that bought precious minutes until campus emergency responders arrived. Her actions were vital in keeping the man alive before professional help could arrive. Emergency Manager Kevin Sullivan was nearby and noticed Booker’s efforts. He quickly called University Police and rushed to get the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) from Davis Hall. Sergeant Jeffrey Banks, a former EMT, and Officer Joseph Gonska also arrived with an AED. Banks applied the device, delivering a shock to the man’s chest, but there was no response.
After another round of CPR and a second shock, the man regained consciousness. “Within four minutes of falling down, campus first responders had an AED on him and conducted a charge to reset his heart rate,” said David Hendry, regional chief of police at USF St. Petersburg. The man was later transported to the hospital and is in stable condition. For Booker, the event was a surreal moment. She is currently on a break from the military to study and spend time with her father, a survivor of two heart attacks. "That could have been my dad. I’m just very grateful that I was able to use my training and things turned out fine," she said.
As she rushed to class afterward, she realized she was late but received understanding from her professor, who said, “That’s as good a reason as any to be late.” In a world where moments of crisis can happen at any time, Booker's actions highlight the importance of being prepared and the incredible impact one person can have in saving a life. Had Booker not taken the initiative, the elderly would have faced a fatal ending. As reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, a heart attack occurs every 40 seconds, with about 805,000 people experiencing one each year. Of these, 605,000 are first-time heart attacks, while 200,000 happen to people who’ve had one before. Interestingly, about 1 in 5 heart attacks are 'silent,' meaning the person doesn’t realize they have had one, even though damage to the heart has occurred.