A Heroic Maine Teen Saved His Mom’s Life Thanks to Watching ‘Grey’s Anatomy’
'Grey's Anatomy' is in its 18th season on ABC
It's crazy to think that we've had 18 years of Grey's Anatomy on Thursday nights, first airing on March 27, 2005, and having its winter finale last Thursday. Not only has the show been entertaining fans for nearly two decades, but its actually helped viewers think on their feet in times of medical need.
And perhaps Mainers have always felt a special connection to the show, considering one of our own, Patrick Dempsey, was one of the main characters for so many years. Whatever the case, a Maine teen was inspired by the show to help his mom who ended up in a real bad way after a freak accident.
A slip on the ice created a severe cut
But Kristen kept her grip on the mug, which caused her wrist to be cut deeply in the process, obviously creating a very dangerous and grave situation.
It was literally one of those "worst case hypothetical scenarios" for Kristen Iarrobino and her 16-year-old son, Cyrus, but hypothetical became reality. According to CNN, while walking outside of their home in Glenburn, Maine, Kristen mistook a patch of ice for a simple puddle and slipped as she stepped across it. It just so happened she was holding a mug of coffee at the time, and when she slipped, the mug shattered once it hit the ground. But Kristen kept her grip on the mug, which caused her wrist to be cut deeply in the process, obviously creating a very dangerous and grave situation.
Cyrus called 911 for help
CNN reported that Kristen didn't think there was remotely a chance that they would be able to drive to the hospital, due to the severity of the cut, so she had Cyrus call 911. While on the phone with him, the 911 dispatcher instructed Cyrus to try and find items around the house to create a tourniquet. Having been a Grey's fan, Cyrus knew the idea was to try and limit the blood flowing from his mother's wrists.
He channeled his inner 'MacGyver' and 'Grey's Anatomy'
Cyrus ended up finding a small piece of plywood on the side of the house, according to CNN, and used laces off of his brand new sneakers to create a makeshift tourniquet. He wrapped the shoelace around his mother's forearm and wound the plywood around in circles like a helicopter propeller in order to tighten the lace and cut the blood flow down.
Shortly after, the ambulance showed up and brought Kristen to Eastern Maine Medical Center, where she was treated and will make a full recovery (following two surgeries).
And on that day, to steal a quote from Patrick Dempsey's character on Grey's, Derek Shepherd -- it was a great day to save lives.