Like a True First Responder: Heroic 12-Year-Old Saves Dad With CPR She Learned at School
By Mae Velasco, HeroFuel® Reporter
Twelve-year-old Aerin Thomas is the baby of the family.
Her older sister, Amelia, says that Aerin is not only driven and compassionate, but she is also smart, independent, resilient and has a wickedly funny sense of humor. You know what else she is? A hero.
Back in April, when their father, Joe, collapsed and fell unconscious, it was the baby of the family who stepped in like a true first responder. Using CPR methods that she learned in school six weeks before, she was able to maintain the procedure until the paramedics arrived.
“Aerin and I were at the grocery store and Joe called. I remember thinking that was odd because he prefers to text,” Angela, Aerin’s mother, said, and right away she was already unsettled by the fact he seemed so short of breath.
When they got home, Joe was sitting at the edge of his bed with an ache in his chest that was fading, trying to collect himself. Angela noticed he didn’t have the typical symptoms of a heart attack, like tingling in his arm or pain in his jaw, but tried to convince him to let her take him to the ER.
“He finally said, ‘Okay, if the pain starts again, we’ll go.’ I walked into the kitchen to grab my keys, just to be ready, and I heard a loud gasp. I can see our room from the kitchen and he was laying on the bed. I ran into the room and he wasn’t breathing. He was turning a bluish color,” Angela said.
She immediately called 911 before throwing the phone to her youngest daughter, Aerin, and then attempting CPR on her husband. Not long after, Aerin calmly came to her mother’s side.
“I remember her saying I wasn’t doing it right and she took over,” Angela said.
At the hospital, they discovered Joe had a 100 percent blockage in one artery and 40 percent blockage in another. During the hospital stay, Joe suffered another heart attack, forcing doctors to put him into a medically-induced coma and hypothermia therapy for 24 hours, slowing his brain and heart so there was less chance for brain damage and more time for his heart to heal. He was in a coma for another two days before the doctors took out his ventilator and assed him.
“He miraculously has no brain damage or long-term physical effects. The doctors were amazed that he woke up and was so coherent and able to use all of his fingers and toes. He was walking around the ICU the day after… amazing!” Angela said.
Joe was in the hospital for a total of eight days, and doctors credit his unbelievable condition to the immediate use of CPR. As frightening and tortuous as this might have been for a young girl worried about her father, needless to say, Aerin was a courageous for jumping into action.
“Aerin is…fiercely loyal…[and] continues to be there for her family,” Amelia said. “I couldn’t be prouder of her.”
Curious to learn more about Aerin Thomas and her family, and how you can help? Read our edited Q&A below!
MEET THE THOMAS FAMILY:
HeroFuel®: So, Aerin, you learned how to perform CPR at school. What did they teach you and did you think you would ever have to use what you learned?
Aerin: I remembered the tune of the song “Stayin’ Alive” and that hand compressions should be to that beat. Honestly, no. I didn’t think I would ever need to actually use CPR, but I paid attention and listened.
HF: Can you takes us back to the day you saved your dad? What were you doing right before he collapsed and what was running through your mind?
Aerin: I was putting groceries away so the dog wouldn’t get into everything. I know Mom and Dad were talking. I remember her calling out to me and then she was on the phone. When she tossed me the phone to talk to 911, I was just focused on telling them where we lived so they could get there! The dispatcher also asked me questions like, “Is he breathing?”
I remember glancing at what was going on and Mom wasn’t doing CPR the way I learned. So, I told her and then took over. While I was doing CPR, I was just thinking about the song “Stayin’ Alive” and trying to keep the beat for compressions. Not much else was going on in my mind. I was just focused and wondering how long it would take the ambulance to get there.
HF: Joe, do you remember anything from that day?
Joe: I don’t actually remember anything from that day. I know because they told me that I mowed the lawn and called Ang [Joe’s wife and Aerin’s mother] at the grocery store. She told me that I sounded very “off” and asked me if I needed to call an ambulance. I told her no. That day and the next three days in ICU are complete black holes to me. It’s difficult to understand everything that happened, because to me, it didn’t.
HF: You have an amazing family. What’s the best thing about being a father, and more specifically, Aerin’s father?
Joe: I am blessed to have more time to watch my girls grow up and develop their own lives! I am crazy about them. I am so proud of Aerin for just jumping in and doing what needed to be done. That is quite astounding for a 12-year-old to have the confidence and mental fortitude to remain calm in a very stressful situation.
HF: Angela, as a wife and mother, how does it feel to know that not only is your husband okay, but your daughter was the one who saved his life?
Angela: The whole situation is surreal. I still have a hard time processing everything, too. Survival instincts kicked in, and honestly, at the time, I wasn’t really thinking about all of the amazing things my child was doing to keep her father alive. I just wanted him to live. I didn’t want that to be the last moment Aerin remembered of her father.
Now though, I am absolutely astounded when I think about how young she is and how brave she was to insert herself in that situation and help. I am so grateful for her and know God has a plan and purpose for that calm under pressure trait of hers. Realistically, Joe should not have survived. The American Heart Association says only about 1 out of 10 people survive a heart attack that occurs outside of the hospital. He is very lucky and blessed!
HF: What is Joe’s healing progress now?
Angela: Recovery for Joe has been slow. He is now taking seven different medications that he will probably have to take for the rest of his life. He has been participating in cardio rehab to build his physical endurance. He is much better now, but he is often surprised that he doesn’t have the stamina he once had.
I know not being able to do everything he once he could with ease (like mowing the yard and then having a full active day after that) has been more mentally aggravating for him than probably anything else. He is very fortunate that he has no long term physical damage or any brain damage at all and is recovering!
HF: Aerin, we saw that you won some awards and recognitions. What were they?
Aerin: My school, Cobb Middle School, gave me an award for bravery and composure under pressure. The fire department awarded me with a “911 Hero” award at my school, too. The American Heart Association gave me a “Heartsaver Hero Award” and invited me to speak at a meeting of employees who work with CPR in schools.
American Girl magazine has interviewed me and will feature me in this month’s issue. I have done an interview for ABC News, our local Channel 8 and Channel 11 news. It has been fun!
HF: Throughout everything that’s happened, what are you most proud of?
Aerin: Gosh, I am so glad Dad is still here! I love him. I am most proud of the fact that I didn’t fall apart or freak out while this was happening. I have never experienced an emergency where we had to call 911. I’m proud that I remembered what to do and was able to do it.
HF: What is the most important thing you hope your story conveys to others?
Angela: Our wish for others after hearing our story is to be brave. When faced with a life and death situation, don’t worry if you are doing things right or are qualified — just do something! Also, we know it’s trite, but don’t take anything for granted.
We have a unique understanding of how fragile life is. What started off as a normal Saturday for us changed in an instant. Life is fragile and precious. Say what you need to say to people and live your life intentionally and without regrets.
HF: Any last comments or thank-yous you would like to share?
Angela: We are humbled by the Frisco Fire Department and paramedics who responded to our home that Saturday. They were calm, kind and capable and we will forever be grateful. Paul Henley, one of the battalion chiefs, even took Aerin to the hospital for me, so I could ride in the ambulance. They were all just so kind and honest when I asked questions. They are the true heroes.
Want to help the Thomases get Joe back up on his feet? Click here! And as a family with a heart bigger than their courage, any funds donated beyond medical bills will go back to the community, specifically to Frisco Family Services and the Samaritan Inn.
