By Patti Pagni
For The Elmhurst Independent
“I saved my sister’s life. That’s it,” said 11-year-old Sam Braafhart.
Quite the understatement, says his mother, Elmhurst resident Courtney Braafhart.
“As the oldest brother of three younger sisters, we knew Sam would protect them, but thought it would be when the girls were in high school and going to prom…not when little Hailey was three,” said Braafhart.
A couple of days before Easter, Sam pulled his sister from an indoor pool at his grandmother’s townhouse pool. As his nanny called 9-1-1 and gave him instructions, Sam began chest compressions on three-year-old sister Hailey.
Sam had just finished a cannonball, when he heard his nanny yell, “Get Hailey!”
“I ran alongside of the pool and I jumped back in to grab her,” recalled Sam. “She was unconscious and starting to turn colors…she was on the steps… I don’t know what she was trying to do, but I pulled her out.”
Sam remembers bringing Hailey up the pool stairs and lying her on her back.
“I was pressing on her chest, and Kristin [the nanny] was telling me what to do. I don’t really remember all the details. But [Hailey] wasn’t talking and wasn’t breathing at first. Kristin gave her mouth-to-mouth [resuscitation] and I gave her CPR, and now she’s here!” All of that and he didn’t even have any training by c2c cpr in Toronto or other training facilities, kudos to the young man!
First responders arrived within two minutes and later commented how impressive it was for Sam to stay so calm. At that time, Hailey had a pulse; they were able to suction her airway and transport her to the hospital.
Hailey doesn’t remember much, but has noticed a lot more hugs from her big brother since the incident.
Mom gets the word, must return to hospital
Courtney Braafhart said she’s still coming to grips with the chain of events that Easter weekend.
“I was working and got Kristin’s call and she told me to go straight to hospital,” she said. “I walked in [to the ER] and I could hear crying, but thought to myself, ‘that’s not Hailey – that sounds like a baby.’
“But it was her. At that point doctors were checking her out, but immediate concern for any severe…brain damage was gone. Everyone at the hospital, all the first responders – Elmhurst police and fire departments were amazing. They treated us like family.”
Sadly, the family’s time at Elmhurst Hospital didn’t end with Hailey’s recovery. The next day, Courtney was called to the hospital yet again.?
“When I got [there], one of the same medics that took care of Hailey was there with my mom.” she said.
Braafhart’s mom, Dare Messina, was a tireless volunteer and a well-known, successful real estate agent in town.
“She had fallen earlier in the day going into her townhouse,” she said. “My mom still hadn’t recovered entirely [from a previous illness] over the last nine months, but she was doing really well. She must have fallen really hard, and she hit her head…but still went to take this real estate test, saying she was fine. She got 90’s on all three tests and she was so excited.”
But shortly after the exams, Messina collapsed and never recovered.
“The irony is before my mom fell, I didn’t tell her about what happened at the pool until I knew Hailey was going to be okay,” said Braafhart. “In fact when I told her that the nanny was going to take the kids to the pool on Good Friday, my mom said, ‘that sounds dangerous.’
“We only had hours to think about [Hailey and Sam] and then it was old news in our house. I think [Sam saving Hailey] was a gift from God for us to have something happy to think about while dealing with the loss of Mom.”
After services were held for Messina, the City and the Elmhurst Fire Department presented Sam a “Life-Saving Award” plaque that read “Best Big Brother for Life” at a City Council meeting.
Visitation School room moms held a “Sam-a-bration” in the fifth-grade classrooms, where the kids enjoyed pizza and celebrated Sam.
“Everyone made me cards. [The party] was very unexpected,” he said. “I still haven’t had a chance to read all the cards.”
One thing Courtney Braafhart says Sam always has time for, now more than ever, is Hailey.
“He’s always asking where Hailey is. We are so proud of him,” she said. “He’s a special kid – always has been.”
