On my birthday, I remember preparing my return demonstration videos to pass while lying on my bed crying as no one in my family greeted me. My father was working, and my mother was an OFW; thus, she was far away. For this reason, I always see that special day of mine as one of my saddest days.

My birthday used to be merely an ordinary day until one of my neighbors called to ask me to check her grandfather's blood pressure. She did so because she knows that I frequently take my neighbors' blood pressure or sometimes inquire about their health as they are aware that I am a nursing student. Without a doubt, I went to their house, but I was puzzled to see so many people crowding around him. When I entered their home, her grandfather was already covered in vomit, sweating heavily, and in weak condition. I took his vital signs and palpated his pulse, which was already quite feeble. As a student who is still learning, I got panicked/scared and I couldn't help but encourage the patient to go to the nearest medical facility with his family, but he did not want to as he said to me that he might be misdiagnosed with covid, and he does not want to be isolated. I still remember that was the frequent justification given in our community for not wanting to get checked up. They believe that you will be immediately isolated after a check-up even if your symptoms are not related to covid. I told him that was not how it worked and explained everything about it.

At that point, after more than 20 minutes had passed, his family and I still encouraged him to agree to go to a hospital until the moment he passed out. As his family began to cry, I started to feel really anxious and panicky because I had never seen anything like this. I was trembling a lot because I was so shocked. He was not breathing anymore at that time, and I checked his pulse and found none. I then understood that I had to perform CPR. When that happened, I had never received any formal training in CPR, but I do know how to perform it step by step since I regularly watch first aid videos on YouTube when I have free time. I used the rhythm of the song "Staying Alive" in my mind as I pressed my palm against his chest for two inches. Even though I could hear his entire family crying, I continued to attempt CPR since I was the only one there knowing what to do. To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect at that time; I was terrified, anxious, trembling seriously, and even crying. It was my first time, and fortunately, after several rounds of CPR, I checked his pulse and discovered that it had returned. When he regained consciousness after a few seconds, his family and I asked for his consent again to go to the hospital/clinic so that he could receive the right medical evaluation, to which he agreed. Today, he is doing well and is back at work.

Looking back, I witnessed my birthday, which I had previously thought to be ordinary become so significant and unforgettable. It was my first time saving a life and that event gave me a sense of purpose. That experience gave me some lessons, including how to always be there for others and how to act boldly even when you are nervous. This gave me a life-changing, humble experience that I will cherish forever, as I had a glimpse of what I would beautifully bloom into as a future healthcare provider. Moreover, I'm not writing this story to impress anyone but rather to encourage all nursing students to never lose their desire to help others. Remember that we all have our first experiences in everything, hence even if we are scared to take action, we must at least do something because, at times of crisis, we are their only hope. Therefore, always be ready, keep your heads up, and ignite that inner lamp within you.