DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A man who suffered a heart attack has fully recovered and was given an opportunity to see and thank the nursing student who jumped into action to save his life earlier this year.
Just a few days before Valentine's Day, George Sylvester said he was shopping at the Perimeter Mall for a gift when it happened.
“I decided to make a purchase; made that purchase," Sylvester said, "and the next thing you knew, I was in an ambulance."
The healthy 48-year-old suffered a heart attack on that day, and it was MD student Paige Harmon who was right by his side performing CPR until first responders arrived.
“I’m not just calling her a super hero because it sounds good. If she’s not there that day, then I’m not here today," Sylvester said.
Harmon was shopping with her fiance when she saw Sylvester fall to the ground. She immediately started giving him chest compressions.
“I saw Mr. George laying there," Harmon said, "Obviously losing consciousness, looking kind of dusky."
The paramedic who responded said if it weren't for Paige performing initial CPR, George might not have made it.
“It could have been a different outcome," Zatar Washington, a paramedic, said. "I just think fast-action defibrillation and CPR ultimately saved this man’s life."
In a ceremony Thursday, Harmon, along with the other first responders, were reunited with Sylvester and honored for their actions. Who said he'd forever be grateful to Paige for stepping in on that day.
“If nothing else, we’ll be in communication for the rest of our lives," Sylvester said.