PALMETTO BAY, Fla. (WSVN) — A heartfelt moment for a young boy who got to meet the paramedics and his neighbor who helped save his life after he was found unresponsive in a pool.
“We are here celebrating Dylan,” said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lieutenant M. D. Santos.
The sweet reunion comes several months after Dylan Smith had a harrowing experience after playing a harmless game while swimming in a pool.
“In the pool, seeing who could hold their breathe the longest and the furthest, and Dylan being the resilient Dylan that he is, he pushed it a little too far and we think he suffered something called shallow water blackout,” said Tiffany Smith, Dylan’s mother.
Back in June, rescue crews rushed to the home after receiving a call of a child being found unresponsive in a pool.
When firefighters arrived, Lisette Medina, a neighbor who is also a nurse and physician’s assistant, had already begun performing CPR on Dylan, fighting to keep him alive.
“He had no pulse or respiration, I started CPR right away. From my understanding, I did seven to seven-and-a-half minutes of CPR on my own until, thank God, fire rescue arrived,” said Medina.
Those seven precious minutes of CPR performed by Medina proved critical as paramedics quickly took over, continuing performing CPR and administering life-saving treatment.
The combined efforts helped restore Dylan’s heart beat before he reached the nearest hospital.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue recognized Medina for her actions, bestowing her with a “Life-Saving Civilian Award.”
While Dylan continues making big strides in his recovery efforts, he and his family wanted to finally thank his heroes for their quick thinking and forgiving him a second chance at life.
“There was a period there where we didn’t know if he’d be walking and talking and doing basic things that we take for granted, but he is and he’s doing it on his own and we’re just so grateful for all the support from the Jackson team,” said Tiffany.
His T-shirt matching his story — a little miracle with a big fighting spirit.
“So incredibly thankful, you are our lifelines, our heroes, it’s very real and ‘thank you’ will never be enough,” said Tiffany.
As for the rescue crew, they say experiencing moments like these is what makes answering every call worth it.
“When we see a positive outcome, it’s reassurance that this is why we joined this profession and why we do what we do,” said Santos.
Dylan continues improving every day as he continues his physical therapy treatment.
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