29/12/2024
Jake Chapman, 17, was eating in the family kitchen when his heart stopped. His mom, Rachel, called 911. His dad, Chad, started CPR Chad, a middle school teacher who'd been trained in CPR for years, knew what he needed to do – be forceful with compressions to mimic the rhythm of the heart – but he feared hurting his son.
"Then I looked down and saw his gray skin, his blue lips, his blue eyelids," Chad said. "I started making the compressions more and more forceful because I knew it was a life-or-death situation."
In less than four minutes, paramedics arrived and took over, shocking Jake's heart twice to bring back a sustainable rhythm.
Only after Jake heard his parents sharing in an interview their side of what happened did he realize the role his father's quick thinking and CPR knowledge had played in his survival. He immediately texted his dad: "Thank you for saving my life."
The family has become strong advocates for everyone to learn CPR. "My message for people is that whether you're trained or not, you have to do something," Chad said. "The only wrong is to not do anything at all."
