Lexi Lindsey
Lexi Lindsey is a student at Bedford North Lawrence High School. She is also a huge fan of Justin Timberlake. In April 2019, she was thrilled that she had tickets to his concert. She expected it to be a great day, but she never expected it to be so eventful.
Brian Putt
Brian Putt is a United States Navy vet. He served on a U.S. Navy submarine, and today, he works at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane. He is also the father of two daughters. He also suffered from an arrhythmia, which is also known as an irregular heartbeat. The most common type of atrial fibrillation (AF), which causes a rapid heartbeat. To treat his condition, Brian’s doctors implanted an ICD beneath his collar bone. If it senses an unusual heartbeat that could lead to a cardiac arrest, it activates to administer a shock that brings the heartbeat back to normal.
A Serendipitous Meeting
Brian’s ICD often worked great; however, during a work trip to Florida, he had a complication. At the same time, Lexi was on her way to the Banker Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to see Justin Timberlake’s Man Of the Wood tour. The concert was scheduled for late 2018 but had to be postponed until 2019 due to damage to Justin’s vocal
State Road 37
Lexi and her friends were passing through Monroe County when she spotted a car pulled over on State Road 37. Brian was beside the car, trying to climb the grassy incline. Lexi knew right away that he was in danger. The longer she watched, she noticed that his health was declining quickly.
Stop the Car!
Brian was waving his arms for help before falling to the ground. Lexi told her friends to pull over. When the car stopped, Lexi got out of the car and ran to Brian. At the time, she had no idea that his issues were due to a failing ICD. Fortunately for Brian, Lexi had some medical training. She was taking classes at Heidi Myers’ Health Careers I, which is part of the North Lawrence Career Center (NLCC). She started taking classes hoping that it would help her with job options in the future. In her classes, she learned basic first aid, Stop and Bleed preparation, and CPR. Thanks to this training, she was able to remain calm to try to give Brian the help that he needed.
Calling 911
While Lexi ran to Brain, she called 911. Next, she dragged him to the roadside so that the paramedics would see them. It wasn’t easy because Brian was a pretty big guy. While Lexi dragged him, he managed to stay conscious. Brian was in distress, but he managed to let Lexi know that he was having trouble with his heart. He was wearing a Fitbit, which showed Lexi that his heart rate was extremely high. She was prepared to do CPR if necessary.
More Help
Other motorists stopped to assist. One man was wearing a high-visibility jacket, and he managed to keep oncoming traffic away while Lexi tried to give Brian the care that he needed. This was essential for the safety of both Lexi and Brian.
Seizure
When Brian had a seizure, Lexi knew precisely what to do. She turned him to the side to clear his airway. When the seizure stopped, Lexi tried to keep him calm and talking. He told her that he had a heart attack in 2018, and he didn’t feel right all day. Lexi used his phone to call his wife to let her know what was going on. She remained by his side and kept him calm, trying to keep his heart rate down.
The Ambulance Arrives
When the ambulance pulled up, the EMTs started to check out Brian. He told them that if it weren’t for Lexi, he would have died. He told them that she was a hero.
Recognition
Brian got the care that he needed at the hospital, and before heading home, he learned who Lexi was. He had friends in the area who told him where to find her. This Teenager Stopped To Revive A Dying Father – But Weeks Later He Turned Up At Her School. Brian brought Lexi flowers at school and thanked her for saving her life. He told Lexi, her teachers, and everyone in her classroom that Lexi was his hero. If she hadn’t pulled over that day, he told everyone that he would have been dead. Lexi may have missed half of the concert, but it didn’t matter to her. Brian was able to return home safely to his wife and two daughters, which Lexi says was worth missing the concert. Brian says he will never forget her.
