Area teen acts fast to save mom

Nancy DeCoux says son Alex saved her life

By Lee Bonorden (Contact) | Austin Daily Herald

Published Friday, May 1, 2009

Photo by Submitted photo

Alex Emerick

HAYFIELD — Heroes come in all sizes and shapes.

Nancy DeCoux said her son, Alex Emerick, fits the description.

“I’m so proud of him,” the mother said. “He saved my life.”

Emerick, 18, is the son of Bill Emerick and Nancy and Larry DeCoux, Hayfield. He is the grandson of Sidney and Judy Brown, Austin.

As Emerick’s mother related the story of the act of heroism, her son came home from school and found his diabetic mom comatose and unable to speak.

The incident occurred Friday, April 17, at DeCoux’s Hayfield home.

A diabetic since 1967, DeCoux is insulin-dependent and uses a pump device to monitor her blood/sugar and insulin levels.

She said the device apparently malfunctioned that day.

“It just didn’t work the way it was supposed to work,” she recalled.

The mother had talked to her son about her diabetic condition, and the symptoms and treatment for low blood/sugar levels.

Emerick had the presence of mind to react immediately when he found his comatose mother.

He mixed the glucagon solution his mother had instructed him to do and administered it to his mother.

The teen had never given an injection to his mother before.

Then, he called 9-1-1 to dispatch an ambulance.

The mother was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, Rochester, for treatment.

“After I regained consciousness in the hospital, a nurse told me Alex had saved my life with his quick actions. I could have died,” she said.

Actually, Emerick once before was credited with saving a life.

He was swimming at the Hayfield Municipal Swimming Pool when he noticed a toddler slip from the steps leading out of the pool and struggling in the water at the deep end of the pool.

According to his parent, Emerick could not get the attention of the lifeguard on duty at the time and swam to the child and pulled him out of the pool.

“I’m usually a pretty shy guy,” the teen admitted, “but I decided I just needed to do what had to be done in this case.”

He credited his mother’s instructions about what to do in the event she lapsed into unconsciousness due to a blood/sugar level episode.

Emerick is also an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.

His community betterment project was to help construct bleachers and dugouts for the Hayfield High School athletic field.

He is a junior at Hayfield High School.

He was born in the Philippines Islands and adopted when he was 21 months old at an orphanage.

“In grade school be became a United States citizen and he’s proud of his dual heritage,” his mother said.

He received notice of his Eagle Scout award in March and will be honored at Court of Honor ceremonies this summer.

The teen attends Sacred Heart Church, Hayfield, and works part-time at Ryan’s Foods. The teen’s future ambitions are to become a chef after studying culinary arts and — he hopes — opening a multi-cultural restaurant.

“He’ll probably be teaching all the kitchen help the Heimlich maneuver, CPR and all those life-saving skills,” his mother said.

“As long as I am alive I will be willing to do whatever I know to help other people,” he said.

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