It’s not every day that you get to save a friend’s life, but Athletic Director Jennifer Keane can now say that she did just that.

Last weekend, AD Keane was sitting at the scorer’s table during the West Hempstead vs. Floral Park Boys Basketball Nassau County finals at Farmingdale State College as the Assistant Coordinator for Boys Basketball for Section VIII. While sitting there, she saw one of the referees turn and hit the floor and without thinking twice, she immediately had the West Hempstead bench move so they did not witness what was going on and medical care could be administered.

 As she approached the unconscious referee, she saw that he was turning blue and yelled for the AED machine.  As she waited for the AED two nurses and a doctor took his vital signs and then began the first round of chest compressions and air bag. Once the AED machine arrived, Keane, who is a certified athletic trainer and required to remain CPR/AED certified due to the nature of her job, jumped into action.

“He was struggling for breaths and turning blue in the face when I approached him, and I yelled for the AED” says Keane. “I heard someone saying ‘he has a no pulse, no he has a pulse, and then he said no pulse. It was very emotional especially since this was a friend.” As they applied the pads and then administered the AED, Keane continued to talk to Joe.

“Simply put... Jennifer would NOT let Joe go.... her interaction of care, love, and leadership was simply tremendous,” says Matthew McLees, Section VIII official. “Many people contributed to saving his life. But I will believe forever that Jennifer called him to live when he was going, and he listened to her.”

As Joe came to, he was agitated and confused but soon calmed down once he saw Ms. Keane’s familiar face.

Wantagh Superintendent, John McNamara, said, “I am not surprised in the least that MS. Keane was able to jump into action so quickly and help someone in such distress. Her quick thinking and ongoing dedication to her field leaves her prepared for situations just like this. She is a tremendous asset to our school community and the greater Nassau Section VIII athletics community.”

Keane says “Joe is alive and that is what’s most important. We were all in the right place at the right time.”