Elkhart County fourth grader recognized for helping save her dad's life
ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. -- An Elkhart County fourth grader is being honored as a young hero.
Wednesday afternoon, she was awarded the American Heart Association's Heartsaver Hero Award for applying what she learned in the classroom to a real-life emergency.
Instead of practicing CPR on a dummy, it was on her own dad. "I woke up to my mom yelling my name," recalls Magnolia Bridegroom.
This past January, Magnolia was at home for a snow day when she heard her mom yelling for help. Her dad had collapsed after shoveling snow.
"I saw my dad laying on the ground on our front porch and my mom doing CPR with the 911 dispatcher on the phone," Magnolia Bridegroom explains.
After a long seven minutes of chest compressions, Magnolia's mom Jamie was tired and needed help.
"The 911 operator asked if anybody else could help and Magnolia said, 'I can', she stepped in and started compressions," explains Jamie Bridegroom, Magnolia's mother.
Once Jamie was able to start doing CPR again, Magnolia ran outside to flag down paramedics who were at the wrong address.
"I didn't know what was going on, I was so consumed with CPR," Jamie explains. "Magnolia ran out, flagged them down, got them down to our home from down the block and they were able to take over and he's alive."
Magnolia's dad, Chris, was able to return home from the hospital in about a week.
They say he is doing well and just last week, had an AICD put in, which is a device that monitors and corrects abnormal heart rhythms.
"So hopefully we never have to do this again, but he's alive because of her help," says Jamie.
Magnolia credits her PE teacher at Ox Bow Elementary Susie Krizmanich or Miss Kriz, for teaching her how to perform CPR every year since kindergarten.
"We have about a half dozen CPR dummies that kindergartners through fourth graders get to practice on every year," explains Suzie Krizmanich, Ox Bow Elementary School PE Teacher. "She put that practice into phenomenal use."
"If you pay attention in class, you could learn something that actually save somebody's life," Magnolia says.
For Miss Kris, who was also honored by the American Heart Association, it gives her hope as an educator that she's helping create lifesavers.
"I tell my kindergartners, I'm like 'Ok I know you guys are not big enough, but I also know you are more than willing to boss some people around'. So, if you are at a grocery store and everyone is like gasp you are more than capable to be like 'No, no, no, you have to kneel down, you have to start pressing on his chest'. Sometimes those words and click someone into action because a six-year-old told them what to do," explains Krizmanich.
"It proves to me that repetition is the way to go, it's creating muscle memory," explains Stephanie Rosenberg, American Heart Association Development Director of School Engagement. "So, she didn't even second guess it, she was like 'Mom, I got this.'"
Now, Magnolia knows for sure she wants to be a doctor when she grows up so she can save lives every day.
June 1-7 is CPR AED Awareness Week.
The American Heart Association says it's important for people to see how impactful learning CPR can be at any age.