John and Brianna Grayson
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| John and Brianna Grayson (St. Louis, MO) received the Red Cross Lifesaver Award for saving their godmother, Joan Smith, when she had a heart attack in July. While Brianna gave vital information to 911 dispatchers, John remembered learning CPR in 7th grade at Hoech Middle School. John did chest compressions and rescue breaths until paramedics arrived. Through the Red Cross Lifesaver Awards, sponsored by AAA, the Red Cross has celebrated more than 400 local citizens who were able to save a life thanks to their training. Pictured from left to right: Mike LaChance (Assistant Principal, Rittenour High School), John Grayson (Sophomore, Rittenour High School, Kevin Haynes (Teacher, Hoech Middle School), Brianna Grayson (Junior, Rittenour High School), and John Fuller (Chief Meteorologist, KPLR). |
John and Brianna Grayson are brother and sister, and both attend Rittenour High School. Brianna is in the 11th grade and is an honor student who plays in the band. John is in 10th grade and plays football, is on the wrestling squad and in the orchestra.
In July, 2009, both were at their grandmother Mary’s house, visiting their godmother Joan Smith. During their conversation, Joan says she started gasping for breath because she couldn’t breathe. A few seconds later, she blacked out.
Put yourself in these teenager’s shoes: to witness someone you love struggle to breathe then fall unconscious is absolutely terrifying. But both Brianna and John managed to stay calm enough to take action.
Brianna ran for the phone and called 911. As she gave details of what was happening to the dispatcher, her brother John started CPR. He did a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths for several minutes until the ambulance arrived and paramedics whisked Joan away to the hospital.
Doctors later told Joan she had had a “light heart attack,” but that she was lucky to have someone nearby who knew how to perform CPR.
Here is the truly amazing part of the story: John said later he remembered how to do CPR from learning it three years earlier – in his 7th grade Physical Education and Health class!