(gentle midtempo music)
- June 6th, 2011.
I was 18, and two days after
my high school graduation,
I went to the local YMCA.
I trained for soccer.
I came home, and around 11:30 that night,
I went up to my mom's room to
say, "I don't feel so well,"
and collapsed on her bed.
- Our mom woke me up, screaming,
"Grant, there's an emergency."
I came downstairs to
find Grace on the floor.
Our mom went down to
wait for the paramedics,
and she stopped breathing in my hands.
We later learned that she had
gone under sudden cardiac arrest.
- This can happen to anyone.
I was in peak health.
Again, no warning signs.
It can happen at any time,
and this is why we need
you to be prepared.
- I learned CPR in an
elective class when I was 13.
I never expected to have to
do it on my little sister.
In these cases, every second matters,
and that's why it's so
important to be prepared.
- You never know when it's going to be
your turn to save a life.
- It's been so amazing watching her
just fight back from this event.
Now she just finished her
first year in med school.
It's just amazing and inspires me,
her older brother, every day.
- I think it's difficult for
me to answer the question of
why I chose to go into medical school,
but because after what happened,
I didn't feel ilke it
was a choice any more.
It's something I have to do,
and I will work as hard as I have to.
I'll continue to push the limits
to make sure that what my
lifesavers did that night,
their efforts were worth it.
- I'm Jonathan Kirch.
I'm the Government Relations Director
for the American Heart Association
in Delaware and the city of Philadelphia.
Grace is being presented with
the Survivor Advocate of the Year Award
because through Grace's advocacy,
she has impacted the lives of Delawarians
for decades to come.
Grace is responsible,
with other volunteers,
for changing the high school
curriculum in Delaware
so that all students need to learn CPR
before they can graduate.
Grace Firestone is more than
the best advocate I've ever worked with.
She's an incredible friend,
an incredibly special person who
brings out the best in everyone.
- I've had the privilege to meet Grace
when she was about six
or seven years of age,
when she walked on to the
pitch of a soccer field
as part of a team when my
daughter and her played on
at a local soccer club.
Even when she was that age,
I was highly impressed
with the fire in her eyes,
the compassionate heart,
and I had the honor to watch Grace
grow up through the years,
and she always had a sparkle in her eye.
Showed a lot of grit, perseverance.
Always a very special, special child.
Had a nice ability to
really engage others.
She's always distinguished
herself from others
through her leadership qualities,
her commitment to others,
especially those less fortunate,
and her ability to connect.
- A story is powerful.
Whatever effort it is that
you're passionate about,
it can make a difference.
You can make a difference.
