Georgia man reunites with Long Island medical professionals who helped save his life
NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. -- There was a heartwarming reunion Friday on Long Island between a man who suffered a serious medical emergency and the staff of a COVID screening site who knew just what to do.
Brock Calhoun, 48, and his daughter Arianna were moved to tears as they reunited with the pair of medical professionals who saved Calhoun's life when he had a seizure two years ago.
Wife Vonda helped him present flowers to the lifesavers.
Calhoun had been driving all night, getting a tour bus for the Zac Brown band to Jones Beach Theater. Even before he parked, he could feel himself fading.
"So what did I do? I start praying," Calhoun said.
Other truck drivers noticed he was in distress, and they found help at a COVID testing area. The swabbing stopped as it became all about stabilizing Calhoun.
"I got behind him and I grabbed him and I pulled him from behind the steering wheel onto a hard surface," said Dr. Michelle Chester, director of Northwell Employee Health Services. "He wasn't breathing, and he went into a full-blown seizure ... We kept the oxygen going to ensure that his organs were satisfied at that time ... He still has a heart rate. EMT came eventually, and we basically handed off to them."
"At the end of the day, this is what our job is. We are here to help people," Northwell nurse Kaya Wynter said.
"And I wouldn't be standing here right now," Calhoun said.
After a week in the hospital, the family returned to their home to Evans, Georgia, expecting one day to return to Long Island to share their immense gratitude.
"They have a heart, and they love people," Calhoun said.
"If they wasn't there that day, I would not have my dad," Arianna Calhoun said. "Me and my dad are close ... We like to watch football together. We like to go fishing."
She said she just wanted to say thank you to those who saved him.
Brock Calhoun has given up on long-haul driving. He's happy to be home more with his family and spending more time coaching Little League.
He knows exactly who to thank that he is still in the game.
Before he retired, Calhoun had been a veteran driver and roadie for musical acts including Gladys Knight, Styx, Black Eyed Peas, Ice Cube, the Jonas Brothers, and Earth, Wind & Fire.