Honoring a young life-saver

It happened in the blink of an eye. Monroe resident Brian Anaka nearly lost his life, and his 12-year-old son, Taylor, became a hero for taking the steps necessary to save him.

In recognition of Taylor's bravery, Monroe Fire Districts 3 and 7 invited the Anaka family to attend an awards ceremony on Thursday, March 10, at the Monroe Fire Department. Taylor was honored with a Lifesaver award and two Challenge Coins; one from firefighters and another from SNOPAC, Snohomish County's regional office of 911 dispatchers. The SNOPAC Challenge Coin was presented by 911 dispatcher Theresa Ramey, who played an integral role during the incident.

Taylor, a polite, soft-spoken young man, said he felt pretty good about having helped save his dad's life.

"It feels awesome,GÇ¥ Taylor said.-á

Brian Anaka and his wife, Lisa, live in Monroe with Taylor and their 8-year-old son, Jack. They were in the process of moving closer into the city when the incident occurred; Brian decided he was going to make a trip to their previous residence to grab a few items and Taylor wanted to help. Once at the house, Brian suffered sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), which is often fatal.

SCA is not the same thing as a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when part of the heart's blood supply is restricted or blocked, but it usually does not cause the heart to stop beating. SCA occurs when the heart's electrical system misfires, causing the heart to stop beating very suddenly.

For someone to survive SCA, prompt cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is necessary. Treatment with an automated external defibrillator is the best mechanism for saving someone who has suffered SCA.

District 7 Deputy Chief of Emergency Medical Services Scott Dorsey gave an overview of what occurred that day on Feb. 7.

"Fortunately for Brian, Taylor was nearby and recognized that something was seriously wrong. He began a series of events at that moment that led to a successful resuscitation of his dad,GÇ¥ Dorsey said.

As soon as Taylor realized the situation was serious, he called 911. He ended up on the phone with Ramey, who has been a 911 dispatcher for nearly 18 years. As units were being deployed to the scene, she asked Taylor a series of investigatory questions designed to assess the nature of the call. Once she ascertained the situation, Ramey began to coach Taylor in how to give CPR.

"It's pretty incredible to listen to all that happened as Taylor patiently listened and Theresa patiently gave instructions, and sometimes very insistently gave instructions, to just keep going, keep pressing,GÇ¥ Dorsey said.

There came a point where Taylor started to break down, but Ramey urged him to be strong for his dad. You can cry later, she told him, but right now just keep counting. When first responders arrived at the scene, Taylor was still giving his father CPR.

Taylor's action was critical to his father's survival, Dorsey said, as research has shown that for every minute that CPR is delayed, a person's chance of survival is decreased by 10 percent. Crews took over for Taylor once they were on scene, and about 10 minutes after they arrived, Brian had been successfully resuscitated. He was transported to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, where he was treated briefly in the emergency department prior to being turned over to the cardiac team for stabilization and further treatment.

The department is endlessly proud of Taylor, Dorsey said, for initiating the sequence of events that saved his dad's life.

Paramedic Corey Wenzel presented Taylor with the Lifesaver award. Wenzel told Taylor he hoped he would never forget the award's significance.

"I want you to think about the choice that you made. The choice that you, as a 12-year-old boy, made to save your dad's life. And I want you to remember that throughout the next 20 years of your life, you're going to have decisions to make; you're going to have choices to make. Sometimes you're going to make wrong ones, sometimes you're going to make right ones,GÇ¥ Wenzel said. "But I want you to always remember to look back and know that you know how to make the right choices, even as a 12-year-old.GÇ¥

Taylor accepted his honor graciously, and thanked firefighters for the ceremony. He thanked Ramey for her guidance during the call.

"I would just like to say thank you for everything,GÇ¥ Taylor said. "Thank you for the award and thank you for leading me through the CPR.GÇ¥

Lisa and Brian Anaka are endlessly grateful for their son's quick thinking, particularly since Brian had intended to make the trip on his own. Taylor offered to go with him, and at first he told him not to worry about it.

Luckily, they decided to go together. -á -á

Brian is in the construction industry and used to hard work and physical activity. The issue seemed to come out of nowhere, he said, although genetics may have been at play as his older brother died from a cardiac incident at 21.

"I have never had any problems, ever,Gǥ Brian said. "I'm in good shape, work super hardGǪ It's crazy.Gǥ

Oddly, Brian has had his share of lifesaving experiences, except he's normally the one doing the saving. According to Brian's mom, he has saved two children from drowning.

Brian Anaka confirmed both incidents modestly. The first time was while he and his wife were on vacation in Ocean Shores; a strong swell toppled over a young boy around 18 months and started pulling him out to sea, Brian said. Fortunately, he was able to grab the child by the foot and pull him out of the water. The second time was at Flowing Lake in Snohomish, when he ran into the lake fully clothed after hearing shouts that someone had fallen off the dock. He successfully located the child and pulled him out of the water.

The Anaka family shone with pride as Taylor received his honors from the fire department. They were joined by Hidden River Middle School Principal Brett Wille, who facilitated another recognition ceremony for Taylor at the school on Monday, March 14.

Taylor said he wants to either be a police officer or a firefighter when he grows up.