In a real-life miracle, a 57-year-old homeless man saved the life of a 64-year-old man who suffered a heart attack and was clinically dead for 28 minutes.
In August of 2017, George Dakin, Jr., a retiree from Hyannis, Massachusetts, went into sudden, severe cardiac arrest in front of CHAMP Homes Inc., a transitional shelter for homeless people in the area. Luckily for Dakin, CHAMP resident Austin Davis witnessed his collapse and rushed to the rescue.
Several weeks earlier, all the staff and residents of CHAMP Homes, including Davis, were trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Along with two staff members, Davis performed chest compressions for 10 minutes while waiting for the ambulance.
“When I started doing compressions on him, I was looking at him and I could tell he was already gone,” Davis recalled. “When you’re doing it, it’s like time stands still. It probably felt longer than it was.”
Once the paramedics arrived, they took over the CPR and used a defibrillator to try to restart Dakin’s pulse, but he continued to flatline with no response. Dakin had suffered a massive heart attack, referred to as a “widowmaker” cardiac event because of the high rate of fatality. It was fully 28 minutes before Dakin regained a heartbeat. Doctors at the hospital were grim about his chances, warning his family that if he survived, he may suffer permanent loss of brain function from the lack of oxygen.
Miraculously, Dakin pulled through with minimal lasting damage; and by Thanksgiving he was able to meet Davis and the CHAMP Homes staff who were responsible for saving his life. An emotional Dakin tried to thank Davis, but struggled to find the words.
“The best thanks that I can show, being given this second chance at life, is to prove myself worthy of the gift and do something that can hopefully make a difference in his life,” Dakin vowed.
Dakin’s daughter, Jodi, was determined to help her personal hero: the man who saved her father’s life. She launched a Go Fund Me campaign with the aim of raising $10,000 for him to buy a car to commute to work. The campaign raised over $16,000, enough for a reliable car as well as health insurance and rent for the next year.
“Austin is doing everything right to escape his circumstantial homelessness, but the hurdle is tremendous. Odds of escaping homelessness are about as bleak as walking away from a heart attack,” explained Jodi.
Davis is blown away by the generosity of the Dakin family and everyone who donated. His actions in helping save a life were motivated only by human decency.
“I wasn’t expecting anything and I didn’t want anything,” said Davis. “I’m human and I need things, but that wasn’t what I did it for.”

IN EXCELSIUS DIOS
ANNO DOMINI
2018 04 18
REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY SHELTER, 0 BALANCE DUE RENTAL UNTIL MAY 2019 INITIAL MONTHLY RENT BALANCE DUE PAYMENTS TO START
TO:
Brother George Homeless Shelter, c/o The current email portal recipient
FROM:
SF50 DD214 TERENCE KEITH JOHNSON, 1055 RIVER STREET, UNIT 305, HONOLULU, HAWAI’I 96817-5093, 808 203 7282, FACING EVICTION, CURRENTLY,
ALTERNATE MAILING ADDRESS:
GENERAL DELIVERY
HONOLULU, HAWAI’I 96820-9999
808 203 7282
RE: Please, determine if there is Emergency Shelter available or 0 balance rent due opportunity until May 3, 2019 due to Cancellation of my SSA Benefit effective January 3, 2018 until resume May 3, 2019 and in full amount June 3, 2019 in the amount of $2,631.00 USD USC per Month. The agencies in regard an absurd demand for a facing eviction letter from another agency is their fun of current office politics to paper chase.
Please, assist. I were referred to the shelter where Brother George was, is in 2007 – 2008, and were in the process of transitioning there from another shelter toward long term option and fee based at that time, perhaps in regard packages available if one had income.
P.S.
I hope all is good with you.
I hope all is good with recovery of Brother George.
P.P.S. Brother George might recall me as he used to work or were in the military with a former colleague at DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY whose name is David Reynolds, not mentioned as a reference.
A wonderful read!
Homeless does not mean worthless. This proves it so well. Thank you to you, Austin, for working to save the life of a man who just happened to drop down in front of your shelter. Thank you to George for being grateful and gracious to Austin on his amazing help, and to Jodi for doing something about it. I hope this turns around Austin’s life.
This is a TOTALLY AMAZING story…TRUE LIFE STORY!
What this Homeless man did for his brother in need is beyond any words. He could have done differently, just letting the guy die and perhaps take his belongings (money, credit card, clothes, etc) . . . BUT, what did the homeless man do? YES, the RIGHT thing! He helped out a brother in DESIRE need. That’s what I call FAMILY FRIENDSHIP & BELOVED HEROISM !!! He did what ANY TRUE HUMAN BEING WOULD/SHOULD do. . . He helped the helpless….just as someone (hopefully) would have done for him!!!
GREAT JOB HERO !!! GREAT JOB!!! Oh, and you certainly & truly deserve the ‘Go Fund Me’ $$$ that was donated for your terrific job — WELL DONE!
PS: I hope this $$$ helps you get off the streets & into a home that will take as GREAT CARE of YOU as YOU did of the Heart Attack Victim!!!
LOVE YOU MAN !!!
Great job! Everyone needs to be trained in basic CPR/AED emergency care. It CAN and DOES save lives! Call 911, ask is there an AED unit somewhere nearby, then go for it. If no AED unit, place your hands to the chest with the heel of the hand placed just below the sternum (the inverted V) and don’t worry if you crack a rib! It will repair. 100 compressions per minute and it can be done – just do them as fast as you can and keep your arms as straight up and over top of the victim. KEEP THE BLOOD FLOWING FROM THE HEART TO THE BRAIN, PUT SOMETHING UNDER THE FEET TO RAISE THE LEGS TO KEEP BLOOD FLOWING TO THE BRAIN. Take a class! You won’t regret it! Might even save a life.
Barbara P. Turner
member – Sr. Police Acad, our county
member – MRC – Med. Reserve Corps., our county
member – CERT – Comm. Emer. Response Team
member – TRIAD for Seniors
What a wonderful outcome! Thanks to this selfless man another one has been given a second chance at life. God bless both men and all who felt humble enough to help Mr. Davis get a fresh start via Go Fund Me. What a great bunch of human beings!
What an incredible experience for Mr. Dakin and Mr. Davis!! I am grateful to be reminded that
the true human spirit, a spirit that automatically resurfaces when needed still exists Both men
have this natural human spirit. We all can find ours if we are willing to dig into our souls to retrieve it.
God bless you, Austin Davis for a job well done!
A wonderful selfless act of kindness. It’s a pity that homeless people are ignored by all governments and not given the assistance they should be getting.
Just shows you how life can be taken away in an instant. Life is precious. Enjoy it and make the most of it. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is n ot promised to you.
Thank God Austen had taken CPR class a few weeks ago and thank God he happen to be there at the right time.
You never realize how precious life is until you almost lose it. Tomorrow is never promised. So we all need to make the most of every day that God gives us. Life is too short. Be a better person and help those you can help. You will be a better person for it.
How heart warming. A wonderful experience. Life is precious.