If you feel inclined to read, I'd like to share a life-changing experience at Jag's Steak &…read moreSeafood,and just how amazing their staff members are. I hope someone from the news media sees this and features them because they are local community heroes. How lucky we are to have such a wonderful restaurant in this area. Our story:
Last night was my daughter's 18th birthday celebration with our family. Since we had never been to Jag's Steak and Seafood in West Chester, we decided it would be the perfect place to eat for the first time and celebrate this special milestone with our family. There were 10 total in our party, and we were enjoying what was supposed to be a beautiful family dinner. Instead, our night turned into one of the most terrifying experiences of our lives.
My 75-year-old father began choking on cheese from his French onion soup, which was phenomenal, by the way. My dad has Parkinson's, heart problems and had just had a heart ablation procedure 2 days ago. Things escalated VERY quickly.
My dad became completely unconscious and was unresponsive for approximately 4 minutes. My daughter called 911 while my husband immediately started trying the Heimlich maneuver. Our entire family was crying and panicking. Everything was happening so fast. This is not an exaggeration, but there were 4 solid minutes that my father had no life. We all thought he was no longer with us.
And then something incredible happened. The staff at Jags came running.
Jen, Monica, Ryan and Chris took over. Chris, who we learned was in the Marines and had life rescue training, performed the Heimlich maneuver. After that didn't work, somehow Jen and Monica lifted my dad and put him on the floor. They began performing CPR while we were on the phone with 911. Chris was checking for a pulse because there was a point when they could not find one. Jen and Monica kept going. They stayed calm when we couldn't. They acted when we didn't know what to do.
After several minutes, my dad began making gurgling sounds. They turned him onto his side and continued trying to clear his airway. Within 6 minutes, emergency medical personnel arrived and took over. My dad was transported to the hospital. He is still in the hospital today, but he is stable.
The actions of these wonderful, caring Jag's employees gave my dad a fighting chance. And I cannot stop thinking about how incredibly prepared they were. Jags had a disposable suction device available to help clear an airway, and their staff was prepared and trained to respond to an emergency.
Our waiter, Ryan, was so caring,too. While everything was happening, he stayed with us and took care of our family emotionally. He checked on us and made sure we were ok through it all.
But the angels didn't stop there.
The customers seated around us were incredible.
People from other tables came over and hugged members of our family. They checked on us. They prayed for us. They cried with us. They made sure we were okay. And one incredibly kind family actually paid our dinner bill. They didn't know us, and they didn't have to do that. They saw our family going through something horrible and decided to help. I don't know who that family was that paid our bill, but if this somehow reaches you: THANK YOU. You will never know what that act of kindness meant to us.
Last night reminded me that even on one of the worst nights our family has ever experienced, we were surrounded by good people.
Restaurant employees were heroes. Strangers were so kind. And a family quietly stepped in and helped us when we were at our lowest.
We were surrounded by angels .
I am sharing this because I sincerely believe Jen, Monica, Chris, and Ryan deserve to be recognized. I believe they are community heroes.
I am also sharing this because if you would like to enjoy a special dinner, Jags is your place to go. Not only is their food the best in our area, but their staff is prepared and trained for emergency situations. You will find that even the customers that dine there are amazing.
I would love for Jags Steak & Seafood, its corporate leadership, and our local community to know what these employees did for my father and our family. If you know someone at Jags, please share this with them. If you know a local news organization, please tag them. I have drafted a letter to send to Jag's upper management, as well.
I want these employees to know that what they did MATTERED. My dad is stable today because of them. We are incredibly grateful that he is still here.
Thank you to everyone who helped save my dad. Thank you to everyone who comforted our family. And thank you to the strangers who reminded us that there is still so much kindness in the world.
Most highest recommendation I've ever given:
Jag's Steak and Seafood
Their food was absolutely the best I've ever eaten. They packaged up the meals for my parents (who were in the ambulance on the way to the hospital). They sent us with to go boxa