An Indianapolis nurse was able to save her own father’s life because she happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Greg Rucker, who went into cardiac arrest in his own home, now regards his daughter, Sydni Rucker, as his “real-life hero.”
“My family is so thankful and humble that we could have more time with my dad,” Sydni, a nurse practitioner at Ascension St. Vincent, told The Epoch Times.
Sydni had likely never expected that her nursing skills would save the life of one of her own family members. For Sydni’s family, it really was just a fortunate instance of her being around.
That fateful day, Sydni had stopped by her parents’ house to check on them after hearing they had just tested positive for COVID-19, the report said. Sydni was on her way out of the house when she heard a “weird noise” and realized something was wrong. When she went back to check on her father, she realized he was going into cardiac arrest.
“He wasn’t responding,” Sydni told the outlet. “It was just time for me to step into action. So I told my mom to call 911, and I pulled my dad out of the bed, and I just started performing CPR and doing everything I can to save my dad.”
“But it’s different when you’re dealing with a loved one,” she added. “In the background, my mom is calling 911 and at the same time she’s yelling, ‘Save your dad! Sydni, do what you can! Save your dad!’”
As a trained nurse, Sydni responded calmly and confidently. However, she told the news agency that it wasn’t easy.
“In my head, I’m just doing compressions, doing rescue breaths, checking his pulse ... although on the inside I’m screaming, I’m shaking, I want to cry,” Sydni said. [T]he mission is to put these emotions to the side and focus on saving his life.”
Thanks to Sydni’s determination and training, Greg made it through.
“I consider her my real-life hero,” a teary-eyed Greg told the outlet. “That’s my baby. She stepped into action, and she did what she was trained to do. And I’m so proud [of] her.”
Greg was intubated for seven days and suffered a cardiac arrest two more times after being admitted to the hospital. It is unclear whether his COVID-19 diagnosis was related to his heart issues, WTHR reported. The doctors said Sydni’s quick thinking and CPR skills ultimately saved her father’s life.
According to Sydni, it simply wasn’t his time to go. She told WTHR her father needs more time with his baby granddaughter, who is 13 months old, and “still has many things to see her do.”
Sydni shared with The Epoch Times that there are plenty more life events for which she hopes to see her father around.
“My dad also got to see the opportunity for me passing my boards so I am now a certified family nurse practitioner,” she told The Epoch Times, adding that she has been striving to encourage others to learn CPR for the sake of their loved ones.
