A 14-year-old New Yorker is being recognized for helping to save his grandmother’s life during a medical emergency in late December. Ryan Long was at home with his grandmother, Michelle Hunt, when she began feeling unwell and later stopped breathing. Unable to get to the hospital, the teen video called with his grandfather, Charlie Hunt, who happened to be at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH).
Nurse Linda Dumbuya overheard Charlie instructing his grandson to start CPR and intervened to coach the middle-schooler through the procedure. Under the direction of Dumbuya and another nurse, he performed chest compressions for nearly 10 minutes until an ambulance arrived. The nurses encouraged him to keep going when he doubted himself, reminding him he was doing great. Medical staff later said that Long’s efforts saved his grandmother’s life.
On Friday, he was honored with Beekmantown Central School District’s first Eagle of Excellence Award and was named a “Healthcare Hero” by CVPH. On the same day, CVPH nurses and paramedics visited the school to teach Long’s classmates CPR, stressing the importance of calling 911 before starting first aid. Long encouraged others to trust themselves, saying, “If you're thinking of doing something that's positive, then do it.”
Source: MY NBC 5
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