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18-year-old girl saves grandmother with CPR she learned six days prior

Published  November 14, 2018 11:08pm EST
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Exton, Pa. (WTXF) - An 18-year-old girl saved her grandmother with CPR she learned six days prior.

"We've been close ever since I was born," said 18-year old Teonna Harris. She adores her 80-year old grandmother Virginia who she calls Mum-Mum.

"She means the world to me. I love my grandmother." She can't imagine life without her but that fear almost became reality last weekend.

"She lost her breath and stopped breathing. I guess her heart just stopped." Teonna says her mother was screaming as her dad called 911. Then dispatch asked if anyone knew CPR.

"I heard CPR and I just went from panic mode to rescue mode I guess. I just ran over. I didn't do mouth to mouth but I started giving 10 chest compressions and then all of a sudden she was just brought back," said Teonna. The twist is Teonna had just learned CPR six days before.

It was part of her training at CHCI, Contemporary Health Career Institute in Exton where she was studying to become a dental assistant.

In fact, this happened the night before her graduation.

"This is unreal. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it," she said. Teonna's CPR instructor Seta MacCrory owns Heart of Gold CPR.

We spoke to her via FaceTime.

"I was so overwhelmed knowing that I taught her right and she jumped in there and she was confident. And that's really what I want. I want the students leaving with confidence that if something happens, because life happens, to get in there and get it done," said MacCrory.

Teonna's mom is even more proud of her daughter who she says kicked right into action and saved Mum-Mum who they say had gone into cardiac arrest.

"I'm glad that mum-mum is here for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We don't have to go through anything like that. It's all happy times and I'm just glad she's ok," said Tara Harris.

Seta MacCrory also allowed Teonna to take the CPR course for free since she had been struggling to pay for school. Mum-Mum has been released from the hospital and is doing well.