In October 2022, Chylea Castallanos and Frank Hanling shared an experience they’ll both remember for the rest of their lives.
Chylea, or “Chy,” as she’s known around Brookdale Pinehurst, was settling into her shift as a Med Tech and Caregiver when Frank, a resident at the community, approached her in the hallway.
“I said, ‘Can you do me a big favor,’” Frank explained, remembering the night doctors say he almost lost his life. “I’m having a pain in the chest and I’m wondering if you could take my blood pressure.”
When Chy began taking Frank’s blood pressure, she knew right away that something was wrong. In Frank’s words, “Had her eyes gotten any bigger, they would have fallen out of their sockets.”
Chy sprang into action, immediately calling an ambulance to take Frank to the hospital.
“I just remember him being so scared,” Chy said. “He was terrified, and it broke my heart because I wanted to calm those fears the best way I could.”
“All that I knew was that my blood pressure was going through the roof,” Frank recalled. “I had pains in the chest, and I’m going to the hospital in an ambulance, so something’s got to be wrong.”
Frank says the next morning, he realized how close he’d come to losing his life.
“My cardiologist came into the room and told me, ‘that girl saved your life,’” Frank explained. “She insisted that I get the ambulance and not go back to bed. So I owe her my life. I can’t thank her enough.”
When Chy thinks back on that night, she says she’s glad she was there for Frank. She thinks those moments she spent with him waiting for the ambulance to arrive were critical, and she’s happy she was able to keep him calm.
“In this field, you have to care about what’s going on,” Chy said. “You have to care about their feelings. It’s not just a job. I go home every day feeling like I’ve done everything that I was supposed to do, and it makes me feel good inside.”
Since that night, Frank and Chy have become close. They’ve met each other’s families, and continue to check in on each other whenever they can.
Frank says he’s lucky Chy was there for him, and he can’t thank her enough for helping him be here today.
“I think this young lady went above and beyond and she deserves the credit,” Frank said. “I’m sure she’s not the only person who has saved someone’s life at Brookdale, but she’s the only person who has saved mine. I just want to make sure that Chy gets the recognition that she deserves.”
