CARSON CITY, Nev. (Gray News) – A ninth grade student from Nevada is being hailed as a hero after using the CPR skills she learned in her health science class to save her father’s life.
Iris Ibarra Montes, a ninth grader at Carson High School, was home with her father two weeks ago when he collapsed from a medical emergency. She quickly recognized the signs of cardiac arrest, called 911 and began performing chest compressions, the Carson City School District said in a Facebook post Thursday.
Iris performed CPR on her father for more than 10 minutes while waiting for paramedics to arrive. She credits her health science teacher, Frank Sakelarios, with helping her know how to react and for the hands-on training she received in his class.
“I just remembered what we practiced in class,” Iris told the school district. “It all happened so fast, but I knew I had to keep going until help arrived.”
Iris’ father was unresponsive when paramedics arrived, but they were able to resuscitate him. They credited his daughter’s quick response with helping stabilize him before they could take him to the hospital.
Iris’ father received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and is expected to make a full recovery.
“Iris is an outstanding student and a shining example of how education can be applied in real-world emergency situations,” Sakelarios told the school district. “She has already distinguished herself as one of the kindest, most hardworking, and deeply committed individuals – both in her academics and in her devotion to her family.”
After working with the paramedics and nurses who helped save her father’s life, Iris plans to continue her medical education and go into nursing.
Copyright 2025 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.