By Sharon Sullivan was on her way to meet her daughter, Melanie, at church when she went into cardiac arrest.
Reuben DeKastle and his wife, Gloria, were traveling the same highway on their way home from their own church, when they noticed a Toyota Camry in the turn lane ahead splayed across the lane at an odd angle.
“Something’s not right,” the 63-year-old nurse told his wife.
After pulling up alongside the car, Reuben discovered the driver slumped over with the doors locked. “Ma’am! Are you okay?” There was no response.
“I called 911!” a woman who had also stopped said as Reuben used his fist to try to break the window. Finally, he splintered a rear window with a socket driver from his tool kit and forced his hand inside to unlock the door.
Sharon’s neck was bent, and there was no pulse. Her whole body was turning purple.
There was only one thing Reuben could think to do. Carefully, he lowered the seat back as far as possible. “I hope it’s enough,” he prayed, and began CPR.
The angle made it difficult to push hard. “Come on!” he coaxed aloud, but Sharon’s heart refused to restart. At least I’m keeping the blood flowing, Reuben thought, and kept on.
Finally, paramedics arrived and took over from Reuben.
After giving a full report to the police, he and Gloria slowly drove away. “I hope she makes it,” Reuben said, worried.
A few hours later, he received a text from the police officer, Thanks to you, she made it to the hospital and she’s still alive.
“Is my mom going to live?” Melanie asked the doctor.
“She’s a fighter,” the physician replied, but warned, “Her heart was stopped for so long, there will likely be brain damage.”
The doctor was right…Sharon was a fighter. She survived the night, and the next day, she was strong enough to breathe without a respirator. But it was another day before she understood what had happened.
“Oh my!” Sharon gasped, and it became increasingly clear that she had suffered no brain damage at all.
Melanie and Sharon’s husband, Mike, got a copy of the police report. “The man who saved you is named Reuben DeKastle,” Mike told his wife.
“I absolutely must meet him,” Sharon insisted. “I have to thank him for what he did.”
My mother says she has to meet you, Melanie wrote to Reuben in a Facebook message, and they exchanged phone numbers.
Reuben was thrilled to know Sharon was well on her way to a complete recovery. I’m going home tomorrow, Sharon texted him after 10 days in the hospital, the doctor said by next week, I’ll even be strong enough to meet you and your wife for lunch.
When the families gathered, Sharon kept hugging Reuben. “Without you, I wouldn’t be here,” she said, fighting back tears.
Today, Reuben and Sharon are still in touch. “He’s an angel sent by God,” Sharon insists.
“God wasn’t ready for her, so He looked around for another of His children to help,” Reuben says modestly. “He must still have more chapters for her to write.”
