17-year-old Darrius Smith is being hailed a hero for using his new skills to help save his mom's life.
Darrius' mother Tracy has a condition called diverticulitis and she was having some issues while they were all at home. She fell twice while trying to get to the bathroom with the help of her 15-year-old daughter Shawnee. The second fall, she wasn't able to get back up. That's when her son Darrius called on his recent training from the Greater Wichita YMCA's Job Prep Program.
He checked his mother's vitals and ordered his dad to call 911 and his sister to write down their mother's medications. While waiting for EMS to arrive, he kept his mother awake despite her dropping blood pressure. Once paramedics got Tracy to the hospital, doctors discovered she had a GI bleed. Had Darius not stepped in to help, it's likely she would have died.
Darrius said he owes the YMCA's Job Prep program and his instructors for teaching him what to do in situations such as this. He told KSN, "I am very proud. I am happy that I took that test and actually paid attention for once."
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