A Maryland teenager who collapsed on a basketball court got to thank the medics responsible for saving his life.
Tairik Johnson, 17, was playing a scrimmage game on March 31 at Gwynn Park High School in Brandywine when he went into cardiac arrest. Tairik is a student in Baltimore County.
His dad jumped in and performed CPR and an off-duty medic from Northern Virginia hooked the 6 foot 7 inch player up to an Automatic External Defibrillator to revive him. Medics from a fire house across the street quickly rushed to help.
On Friday, Tairik met the Prince George's County medics who saved him.
"Thank you. I'm indebted to y'all. Y'all saved my life," he said. "I don't think that chain of events that happened is anything except God putting his hand down and saying 'I'm not going to take you right now.'"
His mom, Kenya Johnson, also met the medics. She said she's thankful there was a life-saving AED and someone there who knew how to use it.
"I'm thankful to everyone who was a part of saving my son's life. It's no words I can really say to communicate how I feel about that," she said.
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While Tairik is thankful he's still alive, he won't be getting back on the basketball court anytime soon.
Doctors said he has an enlarged heart and have told him not to play competitive sports.
Tairik had several universities knocking on his door to play and he was offered seven scholarships.
But he and his family said life is what is most important.
"Even though his life has been changed, he made it when 94 percent didn't. It's like, how mad can we be?," Kenya Johnson said.
