It was a crisp Thanksgiving morning, and Megan Christie, a cardiology nurse practitioner at WellSpan York Hospital, was lacing up for her first-ever Turkey Trot run. Two miles into the race, the festive spirit took an unexpected turn. Just ahead of her, a runner stumbled and collapsed face down on the course.  

Without hesitation, several participants gathered to help, including Samantha Miller, advanced practice provider with WellSpan’s Advance Heart Failure Program in York. 

Samantha, who had been running near the individual for much of the race, immediately checked his pulse. With the flurry of people offering aid, she, Megan, and other bystanders worked together to roll him over and begin CPR. 

Megan’s training and experience kicked in instinctively. She quickly took charge—coaching proper CPR technique, organizing rotations to prevent fatigue and performing regular pulse checks.  

"I explained to the bystanders willing to help what our job was to do, by helping singing ‘Stayin’ Alive’ to keep everyone on rhythm, especially as people were slightly out of breath from running,” said Megan.  

The song "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees is one of many songs that are often used as a guide for performing CPR because its tempo matches the recommended rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.   

Samantha helped the process along as well.  

"I wasn’t really thinking as it happened, it was just second nature,” said Samantha. “I am involved in codes typically in the hospital, but the same goal remains the same: act quickly to help save a life.” 

Moments later, a police officer arrived with an AED (defibrillator). Megan assessed the situation and determined defibrillation was necessary. Thanks to the quick availability of the AED, the team was able to restore a pulse and stabilize breathing just as EMS arrived.  

Megan provided a thorough report to the EMS team before the patient was placed on a stretcher. Once he was being supported for the next steps of care, both Megan and Samantha rejoined the race and crossed the finish line to reunite with their families. 

What stood out most wasn’t just Samantha and Megan's expertise and eagerness to help; From the person who helped count the number of compressions loudly nearby to the bystander sprinting ahead to alert volunteers of the emergency, the teamwork and sense of community made a difference that day. 

“It was incredible to see how the community came together to help this person – it was a true group effort,” said Megan. “It truly felt like an act of what Thanksgiving is really all about.”   

While Megan and Samantha were vital to this lifesaving effort, this entire group turned a frightening moment into a story of hope and humanity and showcased WellSpan team members going above and beyond to help save lives both inside and outside the walls of the hospital.  

For Samantha, this marks her 10th year running with her family. This certainly was an impactful and memorable race in the books.  

Megan laughed, “I think I could beat this time next year, but taking the time to support a community member was priceless.” 

Want to be more prepared in a time of crisis? You can find a CPR training opportunity nearest you by visiting www.WellSpan.org/Events.  

To learn more about WellSpan's game-changing heart care, go here.

  

Left to right: Samantha Miller joins her family for the run. Megan Christie prepares to start the race.