A holiday tradition is YNN’s presentation of Red Cross Real Hero stories. The 2011 Real Heroes were honored at the Red Cross Real Hero Breakfast at the Oncenter. This is the story of the 2011 Adult Good Samaritan.

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“If you have the opportunity to take a CPR class, I recommend you do it,” Stephanie Jackson urges.

Stephanie Jackson speaks from experience. In April of this year, her CPR training saved the life of her own father in the family home.

“My mom and I are chatting in the kitchen, and she looks over and yells his name because he’s making a weird snoring noise. She just starts screaming, screaming, and I’m like ‘call 911,’” said Jackson.

With her father struggling to breathe, Stephanie applied basic CPR techniques for ten minutes until the paramedics arrived.

“The only thing I could think of was ‘this isn’t happening, and if it’s happening, then I better react, because no one else is stepping up,’” said Jackson.

And step up she did, saving her father’s life. Bob Jackson is alive today thanks to his daughter, Stephanie, and her knowledge of CPR.

“I have been trained in CPR since I was in high school… I always doubted myself, when I was doing the classes. I would always say ‘what if I don’t do it right, or what if I’m not doing it right?’ It clicks back in when it’s time. When it’s go time, your brain pulls it out,” said Jackson.

Now Stephanie has no doubt, and is truly a real hero.

“Stephanie came through for me… I thank God, I’m grateful to be here. I know if it weren’t for Stephanie, I wouldn’t be,” said her father.

“I was taught how to do something, I needed to do it at that moment, so I did it. I don’t really feel like a hero, but I feel like I did something good… It’s really emotional, that day. It’s hard to think about it, because, what if I did something wrong?,” said Jackson.

Because she did everything right, Stephanie Jackson is the 2011 Red Cross Adult Good Samaritan Real Hero.