05/30/2026
đź’™ 2025 People Saving People Award Nominee Spotlight đź’™
On Christmas morning, Edward went downstairs for a quick nap after working an overnight ER shift. Thirty minutes later, his wife heard him gasping for air. He had choked, stopped breathing, and gone into cardiac arrest.
His daughter, Elliott, didn’t hesitate.
After calling 911, Elliott pulled her father to the floor and immediately began CPR. For nearly 10 minutes, she delivered more than 1,000 compressions before first responders arrived, and she never gave up.
Edward endured an extraordinarily long, non-shockable cardiac arrest, multiple rearrests, nearly an hour on a LUCAS device, ECMO support, and 22 days in the cardiothoracic ICU. But through it all, one thing made the difference:
đź’Ą Immediate CPR.
Elliott had learned hands-only CPR through a program inspired by NFL player and Pitt alum Damar Hamlin that trained student athletes in lifesaving skills. That training became the reason her father survived.
Today, Edward is neurologically intact and calls his daughter’s actions “amazing bravery, mental and physical strength, and determination to not lose.”
đź‘Ź Thank you, Elliott, for reminding us that everyday people truly can save lives.
Read their full story here: https://www.sca-aware.org/people-saving-people-awards/nominees/the-daughter-who-kept-christmas-alivenominees
