UNT Dallas law students save professor’s life during heart attack
DALLAS - A University of North Texas at Dallas professor is thanking his students for saving his life. Their quick thinking helped him when he was suffering from a heart attack while teaching a class.
What we know:
The medical emergency happened last month while Michael Maslanka was teaching a class at the UNT Dallas College of Law.
"I turned to the class and said everything feels kind of blurry, so I don’t think I can have class tonight," he recalled. "And then from what the class tells me, I collapsed and hit the floor."
Law student Daniella Sanchez is one of the students who jumped in to help. She called 911 and began to pray.
"I put my hand over him and I said, ‘Father God, in the name of Jesus, I declare healing and victory over this body,’" she said.
Classmate Matthew Melton, a Navy SEAL veteran, started performing CPR.
"Once he went out, no more breathing. It was making the assessment that okay, something needs to happen now," he said.
Melton did three rounds of CPR and finally got a reaction.
By that time, paramedics had arrived to rush the 73-year-old professor to the hospital. Doctors were later able to stabilize him.
What they're saying:
UNT Health physician Jeff Beeson said this is the perfect example of the importance of learning CPR.
"It’s this easy to save a life," he said.
Beeson absolutely believes the students saved their professor’s life.
This Taylor Swift song from ‘The Tortured Poet’s Department’ is perfect for CPR
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Dig deeper:
In a video posted over a decade ago, Professor Maslanka may have manifested having Melton as a student at the very moment his life depended on it.
"The Navy SEALs. They train constantly. They’re always working at getting better," he said while talking about what makes a good lawyer. "So, let’s do ourselves a favor. Think like a SEAL."
He’s since formed a bond with his students that’s stronger than that of attorney/client privilege.
"They were calm. They were deliberate and they thought like lawyers. And I was very proud of them, very proud of them," he said.
The Source: FOX 4's Alex Boyer gathered information for this story by interviewing Professor Michael Maslanka and several of his students.