JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) – A local mother’s worst nightmare turned into an unexpected blessing when another mom, and a total stranger, saved her son’s life.
15-year-old Evan Tucker can’t seem to spend enough time on the baseball field.
“He’s tried other sports, football, basketball, but has always landed on baseball,” said Samantha Tucker, the mother of Evan Tucker. “It’s always been interesting for him and he has a lot of fun doing it.”
And his mother, Samantha Tucker, loves watching him do it.
Evan just completed his freshman year with the Pinson Valley High School baseball team, and when the school’s season wrapped up, he wanted to try out for a travel ball team.
Easter weekend was the time to make it happen. In the middle of doing drills, standing near the outfield behind second base, the unimaginable happened.
“I guess I had thought he has got hit by a ball,” said Samantha Tucker. “I jumped up and I heard somebody say ‘he’s having a seizure,’ so I took off running.”
Only is was not a seizure. The young baseball player was down in the grass experiencing cardiac arrest. His heart stopped.
“It was sheer panic, like shock actually,” said Samantha Tucker. “I didn’t know what to do I just kept talking to him.”
Suddenly, a stranger dashed to the outfield, saw Evan turning blue, and started performing CPR.
“I learned CPR in high school when I was 17 and I’ve never had to use it in 40 years,” said Johnette Wilmot.
Wilmot was at the ballpark to watch her 11-year-old, Phoenix, try out for the summer league team.
After she saw Evan fall and finally reached him, she said she performed CPR for around eight minutes until an ambulance arrived.
Her knees were rubbed raw as she hummed a familiar song.
“I just kept humming Staying Alive,” Wilmot said.
Evan was whisked away in the ambulance. His mother was right beside him holding onto hope, praying inside.
“The entire ride in the ambulance I was saying ‘Jesus I trust in you,’” Samantha Tucker said. “I had a peace about me because somehow, I knew that he was going to be okay.”
When he got to Children’s Hospital, his mother said he had to be shocked because of his heart’s condition.
Evan was in a coma for several days, but is now making improvements. He is still recovering in the hospital and has been admitted to inpatient rehab.
He has since been able to walk, without help, and talk again. It will be a long road ahead, but his mom said he’ll make it.
It turns out, Evan’s angel in the outfield was a mom who knew CPR.
“Miracles happen,” Samantha Tucker said. “If it hadn’t been for Johnette, if it hadn’t have been for the Lord, my son would not be here today.”
Both mothers are now urging others to learn CPR.
The Red Cross of Alabama tells WBRC they offer in-person and online options. Further information can be found here.
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