Woman Saves Husband’s Life Thanks To County’s CPR Class

Thanks to her attendance at ‘Save a Life Saturday,’ Telles had the knowledge and confidence to act quickly and begin compressions.

Source: Doña Ana County
Photo: Courtesy

A free, two-hour class is being credited with saving the life of a Doña Ana County man, highlighting the life-or-death impact of basic emergency training. 

Christine Telles, 72, used skills she learned during the county’s ‘Save a Life Saturday’ event to perform CPR on her husband, Sal, 73, after he collapsed at their home last summer.

Telles said her husband was not breathing, unresponsive and had no pulse when she called 911. The dispatcher asked her if she knew how to perform CPR and was able to. 

Thanks to her attendance at ‘Save a Life Saturday,’ Telles had the knowledge and confidence to act quickly and begin compressions. 

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“[The dispatcher] was instructing me on what to do, but I could hear [the Save a Life Saturday instructor’s] voice in the background telling me what to do,” Telles said. “He started to respond, and that’s when I realized we’re on the right track.” 

Telles performed chest compressions for about five minutes when Doña Ana Fire Rescue crews arrived. Her husband was transported to a local hospital, where he made a full recovery. 

Telles credits the county-wide training event with giving her the courage and ability to act in a critical moment. 

“A two-hour class can have your husband’s life, your kid’s life or someone else’s life,” she said. 

Doña Ana County’s Deputy Emergency Manager, Joy Chavez, says it’s their story that reflects the purpose of the program. 

“To hear Christine share her experience was incredibly emotional,” Chavez said. “This is exactly the impact we hope for, that someone is able to use this training to save a life.” 

Save a Life Saturday is a free annual event held each February in recognition of American Heart Month. The program is hosted at community resource centers across Doña Ana County and teaches hands-only CPR. 

The event is organized by the Doña Ana County Office of Emergency Management, with support from Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, the American Red Cross, City of Las Cruces and City of Sunland Park. 

WATCH NOW: Christine shares her testimony