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The start of the new school year proved to be an emotional reunion for a teacher and one of his students.
"Thank you man. Thank you," Myers said while choking back tears and hugging the teenager again. "You’re welcome," the now Chavez High School Senior answers and Myers adds. "I wouldn’t be here without you".
When school ended last year, teacher, basketball and chess coach Robert Myers of Houston went into full cardiac arrest and thankfully, one of his students Ja'Marcus Pipkins was stopping by his classroom at the right time, according to FOX 26 Houston. "When I saw him laying his head down, like he never lays his head down. I knew something wasn’t right," said Pipkins, a basketball player, school president and chess team captain. "I said, 'Help me, man. I think I need to go to the restroom,'" Myers said. Pipkins tried to help carry Coach, but he soon went limp.
Pipkins sprung into action. He sat Coach Myers into a chair, grabbed a walkie-talkie and used his cell phone to call for help. Paramedics arrived shortly after, but Myers was unconscious. Paramedics were able to get his heart started again in the ambulance on the way to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. "I said I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest. (The EMT) says, 'On a scale of 10, what’s the pain?' I said 20. She said, 'Oh my gosh, you’re having a heart attack,'" Myers recalls.
Nurse Maddy Martinez said the story might have not turned out so great if it weren't for Ja'Marcus.
Myers and Pipkins have known each other since Ja'Marcus was in 4th grade. Coach also taught a few other Pipkins siblings during 30 years as a Houston ISD educator. "He’s done a lot of amazing things, like he sometimes helped out in my house, got me stuff, shoes stuff like that," Pipkins said.
Now that the school year has started up again, Myers and Pipkins had an emotional reunion.
"Man, dude. I love you, man, I really do. You know that. Thank you, man. Thank you," Myers said as he hugged Ja'Marcus, holding back tears. "You’re welcome," the now Chavez High School senior replied.