A MAJOR Assist

Robin got the goal but the crowd of onlookers praised my “first-class” assist.

Grant is probably in his late seventies. I don’t know him. But he went down right beside me in the supermarket this morning. I heard a teller tell my teller to call 911 as I rushed to him and I put my jacket under his head.

He was gasping and verbally unresponsive but his eyes were open and bright. Slowly, however, they started to go. I called out for someone who knew CPR and I heard someone call for Robin. Then a clerk arrived with a defibrillator. To use it meant cutting open his clothes, so I started telling Grant what we were going to do as I stroked his face and head. All the while, I kept reassuring him, telling him the ambulance was on its way.

As I watched, however, he started turning red and purple and slowly his eyes closed and his head fell to one side. He’d stopped breathing. But just then, Robin arrived and began CPR. I kept one moist hand gently at Grant’s mouth to detect breath and with the other hand I kept patting and stroking Robin’s back. I felt like Robin was God.

It only took perhaps thirty seconds when he kind of burped back into life. But he was wincing so I stopped Robin and slowly the red receded. I told him to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth and I saw him close his mouth. He was back.

I kept stroking his hair and reassuring him until the professionals arrived­—lots of them! I stayed with Grant, telling him all the paramedics were telling me and passing on their questions to him. Grant’s stare never left me even as the paramedics asked their questions. We were bonded.

When the ambulance arrived, I asked for a pillow and recovered my coat. I was done. I left in search of Robin and found him by the office enjoying well-deserved praise for all he had done. As I approached, he opened his arms and we hugged and I just lost it. I was sobbing on his shoulder, at once relieved it was over and so, so terribly impressed by him and grateful to him for saving the life of a man who died in front of me.

Robin saved the day.

It’s noon and I already feel ready for bed.