The day a family became first responders in the backyard

On the evening of September 30, 2022, Officer Jimmy Valenti, a Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement Officer with the Cedar Hill Police Department in Texas, came home from work. He stepped into his backyard to mow the lawn. While cutting the grass, Jimmy inadvertently ran over a nest of yellow jackets. For Jimmy, who is highly allergic to wasps and yellow jackets, it was immediately life-threatening.

He quickly alerted his wife and within moments began feeling the terrifying symptoms of anaphylaxis. Jimmy ran inside and grabbed his EpiPens, administering the first dose himself. Before he could use the second, he felt his body shutting down. Knowing what was happening, he threw the second EpiPen to his wife and told her to call 911 because he was dying. Seconds later, he collapsed to the ground.

Jimmy had gone into anaphylactic shock and cardiac arrest.

Immediate CPR from Family

Jimmy’s adult daughter, Nicole Biddle, began performing CPR while his wife called 911. A 911 dispatcher guided them through proper CPR techniques while Mansfield Fire Station 1 C-Shift medics were dispatched to the home.

Nicole continued CPR for several critical minutes. Jimmy was not breathing and remained in full cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived. The medics immediately took over, working aggressively to restart his heart and intubate him before rushing him to Mansfield Methodist Hospital. By the time Jimmy arrived at the hospital, his heart was beating again, but he was in critical condition. The emergency trauma team stabilized him and transferred him to the ICU. There, doctors initiated therapeutic hypothermia for 72 hours, a life-saving procedure used to protect the brain after cardiac arrest.

Jimmy remained in the ICU for four days before regaining consciousness on October 4. He spent a total of 11 days in the hospital, followed by several months of in-home care. Eventually, he was able to return to work on light duty, where he continues his recovery today.

A Life Saved

Doctors later told the family that Jimmy had only a 2 to 9 percent chance of surviving the event and leaving the hospital. Of those who do survive such incidents, approximately 60 percent suffer permanent brain damage. They were clear about one thing: without immediate out-of-hospital CPR, Jimmy would not be here today.

Jimmy says he owes his life to his daughter and his wife, the calm guidance of the 911 dispatcher, the rapid response and skill of the Mansfield Fire Station 1 C-Shift medics, and the exceptional care provided by the team at Mansfield Methodist Hospital.

He hopes his story will serve as a powerful reminder of how critical CPR training is for everyone. What happened in his backyard could happen anywhere, to anyone, at any time.

Because of CPR, Jimmy Valenti is here today to tell his story.

Learn more about Jimmy's story here.