Wawa employee saves life of customer in need

MILLVILLE, New Jersey (WPVI) -- "It was a beauteous mean time for a 16-hour shift," said Wawa worker John Wallop.

Wallop, 19, says helium loves to work. He is particularly enjoying his occupation down the deli antagonistic astatine Wawa connected the country of West Main and Sharp Streets successful Millville, New Jersey. It puts wealth successful his pouch portion helium finishes his elder twelvemonth of precocious school.

But the peculiar treble displacement helium worked connected December 17, 2021, called for much enactment than helium was utilized to.

"I was beauteous tired," helium said. "I was moving connected making sandwiches and 2 strangers ran up to maine like, 'Hey, hey, there's a miss having a seizure successful the bathroom.'"

Wallop, a instrumentality of taking enactment and helping others, ran into the restroom to find a pistillate who was not breathing. Without hesitation, helium implemented a CPR method that helium learned respective years agone nether the tutelage of his grandmother.

He past checked the woman's pulse.

"She, you know, passed distant connected maine for a second," helium said. "You know, she died connected maine for a second."

But Wallop did not concede. He resumed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until the pistillate began to cough. Within astir 7 minutes, EMTs arrived and saved her life.

"And if I didn't bash what I did, she wouldn't, you know, not would person made it," said Wallop.

Wallop's mother, Calvina, was highly arrogant but besides expected thing little from her son. It was her precocious parent who sparked John's involvement successful helping others.

"The grandma took the kids each summertime and she took John to CPR class," she said. "If she was decidedly alive, man. She'd person been decidedly honored."

Wallop was recognized by friends and classmates alike arsenic his communicative began to harvest up successful section newspapers. He besides received a Pillar of the Community Hero Award presented by Positive Vibes Community Group.

Wallop was humbled by the full acquisition and wants to proceed helping others.

"I'm reasoning astir joining the constabulary force," helium said. "I judge we request much EMTs and medics and instrumentality enforcement officers retired there."

Wallop is looking guardant to finishing schoolhouse and pursuing a full-time occupation astatine Wawa portion helium waits for his adjacent steps successful higher education. He encourages each young radical to larn CPR because, contempt their occupation description, they ne'er cognize erstwhile they mightiness request it.

"Certain things successful life, you know, you're not gonna cognize erstwhile it's going to extremity oregon not," helium said. "So, everything is simply a invaluable lesson."

Philly Proud is powered by Pick NRG.

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