Teen’s CPR Skills Save His Stepfather’s Life

CPR training photo by Martin Splitt

Anthony Killinger, a 10th grader in Lancaster, NY, used CPR technique learned at his school to save his stepfather’s life. He never imagined his skills would be put to the test.

Almost every school in Western New York offers CPR training since Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field over two years ago. The so-called “Damar effect” changed CPR education for the better. On the other hand, I went to school in New Jersey, and was never taught CPR. CPR can and has saved many lives, so it is so important for young people to learn it because you never know when it will come in handy. But not to worry, I learned CPR independently. Killinger spoke on the CPR education he had experienced, “It was a whole lesson unit on just CPR. They had guest speakers come in. They used almost like a dummy.”

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What Happened

When crisis finally hit, it came late at night and without warning, leaving Anthony and his family to rely on instinct, training, and a few critical minutes that changed everything.

A late-night emergency at home

Mike Reese had open heart surgery back in 2018. Frequent follow-ups showed every time that he was perfectly healthy. Now, seven years after his surgery, Reese experienced a medical emergency. Anthony Killinger, his stepson, saved his life. On a random Wednesday night, the Killinger’s dogs Finley and Bronx began barking close to midnight. As is the case in most emergencies, time was of the essence.

Anthony Killinger had to act quickly and recounts the experience, saying, “My mom storms up the stairs, she goes, ‘I think Mike might be dead.’ I saw the dog with him at the bottom of the stairs all sad. He was making an almost like snoring sound. It was weird.” Jennifer Killinger-Reese, Killinger’s mother, has admitted that she did not know CPR and recalls the night her husband went into cardiac arrest, “The dispatcher asked if there was a pulse. Anthony, he actually checked for a pulse. It was faint, but he had a pulse. So then me and him were instructed to start giving CPR. I had to do the counting. And…I don’t know CPR. He knew it, she he did it.”

This was a new horror for the whole family, especially for 15-year-old Killinger, but he was able to put his CPR knowledge to the test. Lancaster High School, where Killinger was a student, taught the students CPR like most schools in Western New York. Killinger quickly called for help,“I call 911 and the dude on the phone is telling me start doing CPR. I did it for like 8 minutes and then he started breathing again. I had to check his pulse, but it kept fading.”

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EMS Intervention

Before sirens ever reached their street, Anthony had already started compressions, following the 911 dispatcher’s instructions and holding on to hope that what he’d learned would be enough.

Eight minutes that saved a life

Killinger managed to revive Reese before EMS arrived on the scene. Doctors told Killinger after the fact that his quick thinking and action saved his stepfather’s life. Killinger did not know whether administering CPR would even work when he was in the moment. He said, “I said a prayer to God. I’m like, ‘Please take the wheel God, you’re the miracle worker. I know you can do it.’ The doctor said it’s like a 9% chance to just survive cardiac arrest. Then it’s another thing to survive and have no brain damage. It was crazy that he survived and didn’t have anything.” The 8 minutes of CPR kept Reese alive, but also saved his brain. During cardiac arrest, the brain is deprived of oxygen rich blood, which can often lead to neurological tissue damage. Reese, once he woke up in the hospital, said, “My short term memory, because of a lack of oxygen, was pretty much diminished, and still, until today, last I remember was waking up in the hospital and being advised as to what had transpired.”

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After Treatment

In the days that followed, the family shifted from crisis to recovery, navigating hospital visits, new medical devices, and the emotional weight of realizing just how close they came to losing each other.

Recovery, gratitude, and a deeper bond

Reese spent just seven days in the hospital. He received a defibrillator implant before he was discharged. Killinger had a hard time while Reese was in the hospital. He said, “I did not go to the hospital to visit him. I didn’t like seeing him with all the cords on him. When he came home, at like the lobby — kind of gave him a hug. It’s pretty emotional.” Reese finally spoke, off camera, reporting that he is on the mend though is experiencing fatigue currently. He is thanking God that his stepson saved his life. Killinger spoke about the experience, and indicated that the two are very close.

He said, “Baseball really connected us a lot. He was my house baseball coach, very good role model. We go at it sometimes, but it’s all in good faith. He always wants what’s best for me.” Reese told “Good Morning America”, “He was heroic. For someone of his age to step up and act in such a fashion when there’s a medical emergency, that’s a hard thing to do and he took it upon himself and stepped up. And luckily, I’m here today because of him.” Jennifer Killinger-Reese also had something to say about her son, “We’re just so proud of him. You know, just how he composed himself and how brave he was.”