Jose 'JJ' Balderas
“Never, ever would I have thought in a million years that I would intentionally hit someone with my car, much less the person I’ve devoted my life with. And it’s shocking,” said high school English teacher Lucy McPherson as she reflected over the crisis that happened in the late afternoon of Feb. 5 outside Springtown High School.
It was already going to be a long, busy day for McPherson. The high school was hosting its Course Preview Night for students. To be able to help work the event, McPherson was having a quick phone chat with her husband so he could pick up their daughter. The couple’s daughter had been dropped off to McPherson by a school shuttle bus. While in their individual cars, McPherson and her husband were planning to meet at a familiar parking spot at the high school. That is when a long day quickly became a medical emergency.
“I heard him start to stutter. I started to hear the gurgling and gagging when he seizes,” McPherson said as she described the moment she realized her husband was having a seizure.
Heightening the danger, McPherson’s husband began to seize while his car was still in motion, potentially running into a group of students outside of the high school. While still in her own car, McPherson made a heart-wrenching decision.
“I looked over and there were kids crossing and that was when I decided I was going to hit him with my car,” McPherson said of her split-second decision to detour her husband’s car off course. She rammed his car with her own, sending it into a nearby drainage ditch. Being a survivor of a traumatic car crash years ago, McPherson had to push aside her own fear of further injuring or even killing her husband in order to ensure the safety of the students.
“I just killed my husband and I can’t get to him,” McPherson said she thought in the moment as she struggled to gain her footing in the grassy drainage ditch as she tried to reach her husband. But just as she was quick to make her decision to save others, witnesses began to immediately help her husband.
“One of our students saw it happen and immediately rushed to help my husband. Same with our health science teacher, Mrs. Consentino. Her and her husband both helped. Nurse Gemma was there and was immediately helping. Caitlin and Sandy were there helping … ,” said McPherson. “Then JenAnne Dolkos from Goshen (Elementary) administered lifesaving medicine to him.”
Dolkos had just left Goshen Creek Elementary with her first-grade daughter and was on her way to pick up her son when she witnessed the entire terrifying sequence of events.
“I saw a white pickup drive beside the darker truck and hit it. We watched the dark truck wreck into the ravine and noticed that the driver was actively having a seizure,” said Dolkos.
Despite being scared herself, Dolkos explained her next crucial steps.
“I knew the driver was in an active seizure, and as a recently diagnosed epileptic myself, I also knew timing for rescue aid was crucial. There was no hesitation to render help, between calling 911 and getting the lifesaving medication to the man. I ensured he was an epileptic and his wife confirmed that. That was when the medication was administered.”
McPherson’s husband had stopped seizing after eight minutes and was rushed by EMTs to the hospital. After talking to police to ensure the EMTs knew what medication was administered to the husband, Dolkos left the scene — not knowing the final outcome for McPherson and her husband.
When an individual seizes for more than five minutes, there is a great chance of irreversible brain damage due to prolonged and intense electrical activity happening within the brain. Paramedics and doctors all expressed what McPherson had been thinking — her husband was incredibly lucky to have received an immediate medical intervention.
“I’ve never felt more gratitude for somebody coming into our lives than I felt when his seizure doctor and the paramedics said that was the game changer for him. That was her (Dolkos’) own medicine. She did not have to do that,” said McPherson.
Later that night, Dolkos found out the husband was in stable condition via a private Facebook message from McPherson. The two teachers had never interacted prior to the emergency, but McPherson felt she needed to reach out and express her appreciation for Dolkos’ lifesaving efforts.
“I sent her a message on Facebook, and said, ‘I know you don’t know me at all. How can I repay you?’, and as humble as she (Dolkos) is, she said that just hearing the update and knowing that he was okay was more than she could ever ask for.”
From one selfless Springtown teacher to another, McPherson knew she had to do something even though she knew a gift could never express the everlasting level of gratitude she has for Dolkos. By reaching out to the school secretary, McPherson was able to make a gift basket full of Dolkos’ favorites. McPherson felt compelled to reward Dolkos for what the Springtown community calls Porcupine Pride.
“Porcupine Pride is kindness, acts of service, perseverance, compassion, empathy. Those are all traits that we believe we should have as Porcupines. And JenAnne (Dolkos) really demonstrated that. Not only to us adults, but to students who witnessed what happened and I just felt like this was such a positive thing that people needed to hear about. We are doing great things and we have great people,” McPherson said.
Dolkos never expected any reward. Though people have said her actions were heroic, she says she just saw a person in need. Dolkos shared one last insightful statement.
“We don’t need superheroes to change the world; but we do need compassion, kindness and love for our fellow people. We are all part of humankind.”
