Nurse Leaps Over Seats to Save Woman at Knights Game

Jeannie Cunningham was watching her beloved Vegas Golden Knights play when her world went dark during the first period.

One moment she was heading to the restroom with her friend Linda Fucci. The next, she felt herself sliding down in slow motion as her body gave out. Cunningham had gone into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing.

That's when Susie Teems became a real-life superhero. The nurse was at the game to relax and watch hockey, not work. But when she saw Cunningham collapse, she didn't hesitate.

"She jumped over fans," Fucci recalled. "She took total control."

Teems found Cunningham unresponsive with no pulse. She immediately started CPR and continued until an automated external defibrillator arrived. No fancy equipment. No medical team. Just basic CPR and an AED brought Cunningham back to life.

Cunningham survived and recovered in the hospital, where doctors confirmed she'd experienced cardiac arrest. But she had one mission once she felt better: find the woman who saved her.

Fucci posted a simple message on Facebook thanking whoever helped her friend during the medical emergency. Teems saw the post and reached out immediately.

The three women met up recently, bonded by that terrifying night at the arena. Teems even brought Cunningham a new Golden Knights jersey to replace the one torn during CPR.

Sunny's Take

This story reminds us that heroes don't wear capes or even scrubs sometimes. They're sitting in the seat next to us at a hockey game, ready to spring into action when someone needs help.

Teems proved that knowing CPR can mean the difference between life and death. She didn't have advanced medical equipment that night. She had her training, her courage, and her willingness to help a stranger.

"Come to a person's aid because you can do something to help another person," Cunningham said. Her working heart is proof that one person's quick action can give someone their whole future back.

The friendship these three women now share started with the worst moment of Cunningham's life and became something beautiful.