2 days ago
Full Interview: WVU student who saved friend's life with CPR
MORGANTOWN, (WBOY) — A West Virginia University student and Monongalia County paramedics were honored on Wednesday for their quick action that helped save a teenager's life.
Back in February, Mason Solliday, a sophomore nursing student at WVU, gave his friend CPR after he suffered a cardiac emergency outside the MountainLair on WVU's Morgantown campus. Solliday continued CPR until first responders arrived and took over and was 'integral' in saving his friend's life, according to paramedics.
In an interview with 12 News, Solliday said, 'Everybody's like checking for a pulse, he's unresponsive, I kind of get my way in there next to him, kneeled beside him. Kind of rub on his sternum a little bit, yelled his name, had no response whatsoever, felt for a pulse—had nothing. And I was like, I'm just going to start compressions because best case scenario, he wakes up, tells me to get off of him, so I was like I'm just going to go ahead and do it.'
For many EMS responders, after they treat a patient, they don't know what becomes of them, so for the Mon EMS team that helped save Grant Schola, Wednesday's ceremony served as a full circle moment.
Mon EMS Paramedic, Robert Berens, who was one of the first responders on scene, said this was the best case scenario.
'There's no possible way that this could've ended any better, no possible way. And Mason was imperative in all of this […]It's just wonderful to see such a positive outcome because the statistics of even witness field cardiac arrest are very, very poor, as far as outcomes go. So to see him […] just being himself, being neurologically intact, being who Grant is, is a big shot in the arm,' Berens said.
On Wednesday, Monongalia EMS honored the WVU Nursing student with the inaugural 'Lifesaver Award' for his immediate actions in performing CPR. Officials said that this award will now be given out as situations like these happen and people step up to help.
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Schola, who was on the phone with his girlfriend at the time he suffered a heart attack outside of the MountainLair, said that he's grateful for those who saved him, especially his friend. 'I'm just really glad I know Mason, I'm so happy that God put Mason in my life because he saved my life,' he said.
Dr. Robby May, the Director of Clinical Services, said less than 10% of people who go into cardiac arrest outside of the hospital survive, and even fewer of those survive and are 'neurologically intact.'
'Most ambulances are not going to get to a patient in five minutes and that first five minutes is critical. So it's why it's so important for people to get trained in CPR, it's super simple and that little bit of training that you do can literally save someone's life and we get a story like this,' May said.
EMS officials encouraged the community to go to CPR classes like the one offered at Mon EMS so anyone can be ready to jump in and help in case of an emergency.
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