A Life-Saving Moment

A Life-Saving Moment

Adrian learned the effectiveness of bystander CPR and how important it can be when he had to use it to save his father’s life.

The morning of April 27, 2025, seemed to be just a run-of-the-mill, ordinary day in Adrian Tovar-Yampara’s house.

The Rock Bridge High School Senior was talking to his mother, Helen, about his hair. Adrian’s father, Alejandro, was in the bathroom just across the hall.

“I was getting ready for the shower,” Alejandro said, “ the last thing I remember was looking at my cell phone and getting it ready to start playing music.”

Just a few feet away, Adrian and Helen heard a thud and immediately rushed over to the bathroom where they found Alejandro on the floor unconscious.

“He was not responsive at all,” Adrian said. He quickly checked to see if his father was breathing and had a pulse. Not finding either, the emergency medical training that he had been learning in a current class took over.

“I told my mom to call 911 and immediately started CPR,” Adrian said. When his mother got the emergency dispatcher on the phone, Adrian provided key information so the responding crews would know exactly what to expect when they arrived.

While he was performing CPR, Adrian said that he was thinking about all the activities he hadn’t had a chance to do with his father, and questioned if he would ever have those precious opportunities.

Seven minutes later, an ambulance crew from Boone Health arrived at the house.

“As we were en route to the scene, we were informed that an adult male had collapsed, and that CPR was in progress by an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) student who was there,” described Katie Gilmer, a paramedic for Boone Health. “This was very uncommon to hear. When I got to the scene, I quickly realized that the student was his son.

“He looked up at me and said, ‘Am I doing this right?’”

In that moment, Katie said she was struck by Adrian’s calm and collected manner. She assured him that he was, indeed, “doing it right,” but that it was time for her and her team to take over.

Katie and her team continued CPR and put pads on Alejandro’s chest to defibrillate him once. Katie thought she would need to defibrillate him a second time, but after two more hand compressions, Alejandro reached up, grabbed Katie by the hand and said “Ow.”

“I immediately told everyone to stop as he opened his eyes and was able to communicate and talk to us,” Katie explained. The Emergency Services (EMS) team then moved Alejandro to the ambulance where an IV was started.

“Without that prompt response of Adrian engaging with CPR, there is no way that the single defibrillation would have worked,” Katie said.

In her 12 years as a paramedic, the team responds to approximately 40-45 similar calls each year.

“We’ve saved a lot of people over the years, but I’ve only ever had three people who were conscious and able to talk with us before we reached the hospital,” Katie said.

Katie explained that what Adrian was able to do was a perfect example of the effectiveness of bystander CPR and how important it can be. Adrian’s actions made sure that blood continued circulating throughout his father’s body, including vital areas such as the brain, while the Boone EMS team was headed to the house. That ability was due to an educational opportunity that Adrian had been taking advantage of while in high school.

For the past two years, Adrian had been enrolled in the Emergency Services Program offered through the Columbia Area Career Center in partnership with Columbia Public Schools. The program requires a two-year commitment from students.

During their first year, students take the Emergency Medical Responder course, which introduces them to key aspects of the life-saving career. The second year, students enroll in the official EMT course. Completion of the course allows students to qualify for the EMT certification test.

Adrian’s teacher, Michael Holz, has more than 25 years of experience as an EMT and has seen a lot in his time responding to calls.

“One of the toughest things to teach is the emotional toll and how to deal with it when there is a need to put these skills into action,” Michael said. “Many students don’t understand that impact until they see or hear stories like this.”

After Adrian saved his dad’s life, he came in to talk to Michael about the experience.

“He was pretty shaken up when we talked just a couple of days after the event with his father,” Michael said. “I wasn’t surprised in the least that he was able to do this.”

Michael said that Adrian’s ability to work through scenario-based questions, taking all the information provided and making sound medical choices was a huge factor in how he handled himself in a lifesaving moment.

“That can be a tough thing for students this young, and especially to have to perform CPR on your father!” Michael said. “Teaching young students not just the skills of an EMT, but how to handle their emotions in the moment can be challenging, especially because they are still maturing. But Adrian has a drive about him that makes his special.”

Back from the hospital after a small procedure, Alejandro is very grateful for his son and his dedication to helping others.

“My wife said that he was talking to the dispatcher on the 911 call and was very focused,” Alejandro said. “I could not be prouder.”

Adrian, who recently passed the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians exam is working on a bachelor's degree, and then expects to apply for medical school. In the meantime, he has joined the Boone Health EMS department as a part-time EMT. Alejandro returned to his work at the University of Missouri, where he is part of a team surveilling environmental viruses for early detection aimed to protect public health. A job that he can continue due in large part to the lifesaving efforts of his son.

For his actions, Adrian was awarded a “challenge coin” from the Boone Health EMS department. These coins are extremely rare and only provided to those who go above and beyond to help others in emergency situations. This is the first time such a coin has been presented to an EMT student. Adrian was presented with the coin in front of his classmates at a surprise celebration that included both his mother and his father.

By Christian Basi