How to Save a Life: Dedicated Citizens, City Staff, First Responders Contribute to Rescue 7:00 a.m. Brittany Williams’ day begins Brittany Williams, recreation programmer at Wylie Recreation Center, arrived at work an hour earlier than her usual 8 a.m. start time. She was working on a project and wanted to have plenty of time to make rounds, check on staff, and make sure the fitness floor and climbing wall were ready to go. It seemed like a normal day. It was not. As Brittany settled in at her desk, ready to begin the day’s work, she heard commotion, and Justine McGee at the front desk shouted, “Brittany!” She rushed out of her office, wondering what had happened. “So many things go through your mind,” she said. “Is there trouble with a guest, an active shooter, has someone had a stroke or heart issue?” Justine told her that a guest had collapsed upstairs; rec center patron Garrett Pittman had run down with the news. Brittany confirmed that Justine was calling 911; Justine tossed her a walkie-talkie and she rushed upstairs. 8:01:51 a.m. Dispatch is called 8:02:55 a.m. WFR is en route As Brittany arrived on the second floor, she saw a group gathering around rec center regular, Antonio McPherson, age 51, who had collapsed on the fitness floor. Those who work out in the morning had become a close-knit community, and two patrons, Zayhab Salim 8 • The CONNECTION • April/May 2020
by Judy Truesdell
and Nahari Abdullah, had seen him fall and immediately alerted rec center monitor Hector Ramirez with cries of “Help! Help!” Hector ran to Antonio and saw that he was on the floor and unresponsive. As Brittany drew near the group, she heard a haunting sound she will never forget: the low, abnormally constant moan of someone in cardiac distress. “I didn’t know whether he had fallen, maybe hit his head, until I heard that moaning. It was steady, non-stop; from my training, I knew this was a sign of a heart issue.” Brittany automatically slipped into a leadership role. CPR training is a requirement for rec center employment, and she has taken it many times. She’s also worked at a high school and holds a degree in exercise and sports management. “First aid response teaches you to be the one in charge – this is a problem, let’s fix it. There’s an issue, he needs help now – I can do it.” Hector, who had been kneeling beside Antonio, went to retrieve the AED (automated external defibrillator), which was coincidentally located near where Antonio had collapsed. Brittany administered 10 to 15 CPR compressions while Hector pulled up Antonio’s shirt in preparation for the electrical AED pads; however, Antonio inhaled a gasping breath – then stopped. Brittany did a second round of compressions, and once more he breathed then stopped. She performed a third set. He breathed a third time and stopped again.
