Mom thought teen was hit by ball when he collapsed — until a stranger used iconic 'The Office' scene to save his life

The mom was worried sick when a fellow mom stepped in and did something unusual that became life-saving for the boy.

PUBLISHED 1 DAY AGO

(L) Teenage boy collapsing on field while playing baseball. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | David Morris), (R) Still of actor Steve Carell from sitcom 'The Office.' (Cover Image Source: YouTube | The Office)

Life can be so unpredictable that things can go right or wrong when you least expect it. It might not happen personally, but at any given point, things can take a drastic turn. Being someone who can act smart and think astutely can be an immense relief. In a similar incident, a woman named Johnette Wilmot noticed that a mom, Samantha Tucker’s, whole life turned upside down when her son, Evan Tucker, collapsed on the field while practising, per WBRC News. The mom initially thought her son was hit by the ball but things got worse. Luckily, Wilmot, a total stranger, noticed what was happening and rushed in to save the boy’s life.

Teenage boy playing baseball. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by Styves Extanus)

The 15-year-old, an avid baseball lover, was doing a drill on the field while his mother watched him. Suddenly, he collapsed. “I guess I had thought he had gotten hit by a ball. I jumped up and I heard somebody say, ‘He’s having a seizure,’ so I took off running,” the mom recalled. When she ran over to her son, she didn’t know what was happening to him or how to respond. As a mother, she was worried sick. Within moments, his heart stopped and she learned he had suffered a cardiac arrest. Everyone out there had seconds to make a move before the boy lost his life. “It was sheer panic, like shock. I didn’t know what to do. I just kept talking to him,” Samantha recounted.

Woman sitting and holding head in serious worry. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by RDNE Stock Project)

While the mom was fighting to keep her son alive, Wilmot rushed onto the field. She, too, had come to watch her 11-year-old son at tryouts. She noticed Evan and learned of the cardiac arrest and immediately performed CPR on him. “I learned CPR in high school when I was 17 and I’ve never had to use it in 40 years,” Wilmot remarked. However, one detail was unusual: she had been humming the famous song, “Staying Alive,” by the Bee Gees. It was not a random thought or an irrational move. Instead, Wilmot attempted to ensure the CPR was given effectively.

Person administering CPR on dummy. (Representative Image Source: Pexels| Photo by SHOX art)

The idea is often used by instructors to help provide timely compressions to the chest, per The Daily Mail. The song’s beats are in sync with the right interval of compressions. The idea got even more popular when it was enacted in season 5 of the sitcom “The Office". In episode 14, Steve Carell's character Michael Scott was suggested by an instructor to practice giving CPR on a dummy to the beats of the song. Wilmot provided the life-saving treatment while Samantha tried her best to help and stay by Evan’s side. Within eight minutes, the ambulance arrived.

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“The entire ride in the ambulance, I was saying ‘Jesus, I trust in you,’” Samantha said. She added, “I had a peace about me because somehow, I knew that he was going to be okay.” Evan was in a coma for a few days, after which he began to recover slowly. The mom credited her son’s life to Wilmot, who arrived in time and acted quickly. “Miracles happen. If it hadn’t been for Johnette, if it hadn’t been for the Lord, my son would not be here today,” she said. A GoFundMe has been set up to assist financially with Evan’s treatment. She added that not knowing how to administer CPR hit her the hardest in that moment and now, she, with Wilmot, is urging others to learn.