Cubs prospect recognized for helping save neighbor’s life
Before Tanner Griggs embarks on his first full season in professional baseball, the 20-year-old Chicago Cubs pitching prospect reunited with teammates of a different kind.
On Thursday, Griggs met with the medical staff at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster, Texas and the 911 operators who with him helped the save the life of his neighbor Richard Gengler.
Back in September, Griggs and Gengler, who’s 61, were playing catch out in front their homes when Gengler suddenly collapsed. Griggs, who wasn’t trained to perform CPR, immediately raced home to grab his phone and call for help. When he returned, Griggs realized that in order to keep his neighbor alive, he’d have to begin resuscitation efforts and learn CPR on the fly.
With the calm voice of a stranger guiding him and poise he may not have realized he possessed keeping him study, Griggs was able to administer the care Gengler needed. When the EMS crew arrived about three minutes later, they immediately took over and were able to regain a pulse nearly 30 minutes later. An outcome that may not have been possible had Griggs not taken charge.
The EMS crew worked on Gengler for more than a half hour, regained a pulse, and transported him to Clear Lake Regional Medical Center. Gengler woke up seven days later. With a combination of medications, cold IV fluids as part of hypothermia protocol, angioplasty and the insertion of two stints, they saved him from a 100% blockage in one artery and a +90% blockage in another.
“I’ve been in EMS for 24 years and this is the most impressive cardiac arrest save I’ve been a part of. So it’s pretty remarkable,” said League City EMS Assistant Chief Kevin Frieze.
Frieze also says that statistically, only 15-20% of cardiac arrest victims survive, and those odds obviously decrease rapidly the longer a patient goes without oxygen. One of the paramedics involved was quoted saying that bystander CPR is the best chance of survival in these cases because every second lost is critical. In this case, even though Griggs wasn’t trained, his quick thinking and calm demeanor made up for lost time.
“Paramedics, Tanner, I mean by God I’m a lucky man. Very lucky,” Gengler said to the assembled group.
Very lucky indeed.
On one hand, Griggs’ efforts under were amazing under the circumstances. On the other, it’s a truly powerful reminder that any of us could be caught in his position and may not be as poised under pressure. There’s a happy ending to this remarkable story, but that underlining reminder is something we should all take seriously. If you have no CPR training or certification, it’s worth adding to the to-do list.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
