A man named Michael can thank his lucky stars that when his heart stopped aboard an airplane, there was a healthcare angel sitting just a few rows back.
Emily Raines, an acute care nurse at a Baltimore hospital, was flying back from a vacation in the Bahamas with her boyfriend when the flight attendant asked if there was anyone onboard with medical training.
The attendant over the intercom said a passenger was having a medical emergency, and Raines quickly volunteered.
“On our way up there I was trying to pregame like ‘hey if we have to do compressions, I need you to do compressions. I’ll take care of everything else,'” Raines described the tense moments during the emergency, discussing the game plan with her boyfriend, a former nurse who now works in finance.
She told CBS News that once she got to the passenger’s seat, he was slumped over, flush purple, and not breathing. Together they did chest compression, or CPR, for about 23 minutes before with just 7 minutes until landing, their good work revived the man.
He was rushed to the hospital as soon as the plane came to a halt, while Raines was treated to a hero’s welcome as she returned to her seat further back in the plane.
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“We were amped because it’s so awesome to have that feeling, and afterwards, you’re just like, ‘oh wow, we did this, we saved somebody’s life,'” Raines exclaimed.
A short time later, Raines received a message from Michael’s wife, expressing her deep gratitude for the saving of her husband.
“I cannot possibly thank you enough for saving Michael’s life. There are no words. if I could, I would like to at least make you some cookies,” the woman said.
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