Jackson Suarez was working alongside his father in July when he found him not breathing. Drawing on CPR training he had learned at school, the Mater Lakes Academy Middle/High School student performed chest compressions until his father, Hector Suarez, began breathing again. Three months later, his school surprised him with a ceremony honoring the rescue.
The surprise celebration took place at the Northwest Miami-Dade campus, where Hector Suarez attended in person after being saved by his son, according to WSVN 7News. Christopher Wydra, a teacher at the school, surprised Jackson with the ceremony and a plaque. The plaque depicts Hector Suarez’s heart rhythm and includes wording composed by Hector Suarez himself, per the same report.
Wydra said he was proud of Jackson for stepping in to save his father’s life, the station’s report notes. Jackson’s mother described her son as the family’s strength and hope during what she called a frightening event, and she said she hoped the rescue would encourage other schools to teach CPR, advocating for the skill to become part of children’s standard learning curriculum.
How Jackson Learned to Save a Life
Jackson’s ability to act came from a first-responder skills program at Mater Lakes Academy, a tuition-free public charter school in unincorporated Miami-Dade County serving roughly 2,100 students in grades 6 through 12 under Mater Academy, Inc., according to The Miami Laker. Between 150 and 200 students and teachers at the school hold CPR certifications, the WSVN report states…