Austin man reunites with nurse who saved his life

AUSTIN, Texas - September 25 was like any other college football game day. Rod Glasper was headed to HEB to pick up some game day treats. 

He planned to bring the treats back to a nearby hospital where his wife just had surgery. "Next thing you know, I'm waking up in a hospital bed myself," he said.

Everything that happened in between he doesn't remember. When his sister told him, he was astonished.

"I was at HEB, I fell out in the middle of an aisle and a good Samaritan came and gave me chest compressions, CPR and saved my life," said Glasper.

That good Samaritan was Lily DeVarona. "I was getting some last minute things to go to the game also, I rounded the corner and I saw Rod just lying on the ground. There were two people standing next to him looking shocked. He didn't have a pulse, checked his breathing, he wasn't breathing so I started CPR right away," she said.

She along with another good Samaritan alternated giving CPR for up to 30 minutes, while they waited for paramedics. He was suffering from a potentially deadly arrhythmia.

"He would’ve died. We were basically being his heart for him," said DeVarona.

For the first time since the incident, Rod got to meet the woman who saved his life Friday. They were reunited at St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, the hospital where Glasper was treated.

"I wanted to give you this small token of some HEB 620 flowers that commemorates where you saved my life" said Glasper.

Lily was showered with gifts from Rod and his family, from none other than the heart. "My nephew owns his own carpet cleaning business and he is giving you a free gift for carpet cleaning," said Inger Glasper, Rod’s sister.

She even received the Challenge Coin, recognizing her for the courage she showed that day.

For Lily DeVarona, the gesture was innate, it was what she was trained to do. For Rod, he is forever grateful that he will get to tell the tale. "I could have lost a lot more and not been able to be here today," said Glasper.

Glasper was released from the hospital after a week. Other than some short-term memory loss, he has made a full recovery.

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