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Taylor Sumner

Senior Sophia Bergsli-Chavez receives a certificate of recognition from Mayor TJ Gilmore.

She receives a call from her manager on her work radio. 

“Hey, something’s going on.”

She bolts from her lifeguard position to the basketball courts as she sees an older man lying down, unconscious. Overwhelmed, senior Sophia Bergsli-Chavez pulls out the CPR ventilation mask and begins blowing into it after every 30 chest compressions her co-worker makes, attempting to resuscitate the man.

“I didn’t think twice about [jumping in],” Sophia said. “I was a little hesitant because [my co-workers] were already putting on the AED and giving him a shock when I got there. It was a little scary, but I definitely didn’t hesitate to do it.” 

18-year-old Sophia, a lifeguard of two years at Lewisville’s recreation center, Thrive, along with her co-workers, resuscitated Bob Diguette who had a heart attack which led him to go into cardiac arrest as he was playing basketball on Feb. 26.

“[I was] very scared for this man’s life,” Sophia said. “I was worried he wasn’t going to wake up. Thankfully, before the ambulance got here, he was already awake and responsive. It was something really scary. ”

The ambulance rushed Diguette to the hospital where he underwent triple bypass surgery, a surgery that fixes blocked arteries in the heart. Medical staff determined the man had an untreated hole in his heart, leading his heart attack to progress into cardiac arrest.

“I had to make sure people called the police and then she took charge of it,” Thrive fitness attendant Patrick Jones said. “She’s always been that type of person to put others first, even [when] she’s nervous or doesn’t want to make the wrong decision. I knew she would do a good job when I saw her running. Although she was scared, I think God put her in that position. Now he’s alive.”

According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, more than 356,000 people experience cardiac arrest every year, nearly 90% of attacks are fatal. A response within 2-3 minutes of the situation is critical in saving lives and preventing irreparable brain damage, which Sophia and Thrive staff accomplished.   

“My dad died of a heart attack, so stories like this hit me differently,” Sophia’s INCubator teacher Nicole Franczvai said. “I wouldn’t say I was shocked [Sophia jumped in], I could totally see her doing something like this. But I was amazed that she didn’t come in and tell me, she was just quiet and cool about it like it was just another day.”

On April 7, Sophia and the Thrive staff who assisted in saving Diguette’s life were honored at the city council meeting. Each of the six staffers received a certificate of recognition from Mayor TJ Gilmore, a life saving award from Thrive, a handwritten letter from Diguette and a standing ovation from the City Hall.

“I’m incredibly proud of Sophia,” Sophia’s mom Kristine Bergsli said. “It’s an overwhelming feeling that she may have saved someone’s life. I’ve always seen Sophia as capable, responsible and compassionate, [but] after this incident, I feel a deeper confidence and sense of self [in her]. It hasn’t changed how much I love and admire her but it has added another layer of respect and awe.”

At the ceremony, Sophia reunited with Diguette whose life she helped save. Diguette gave a speech between tears to the crowd full of families and city lawmakers. He thanked Sophia and the crew at Thrive for their quick actions that allowed him to live and celebrate his wife’s birthday.

“I’m really grateful that I got to [help] in that situation,” Sophia said. “I got to be a part of helping save that man’s life, [but] I definitely don’t feel like I should be thought of [as a hero]. I’m a lifeguard, it’s my job to help people in those kinds of situations.”

Franczvai attended the ceremony, as did Sophia’s long-time boyfriend and almost the entirety of her immediate family. Kristine could not attend due to a work trip. However, that didn’t stop her from supporting her daughter from afar.

“I’m very proud to live in a city that wants to recognize and honor our young people for stepping up and making a difference,” Kristine said. “This is a chance for celebration but also serves as an inspiration for others to get involved and help when it counts. I know she doesn’t see herself as a hero, but I think that makes it even more significant. She did what she thought was right and to me, that is being a hero.”

Although Sophia emphasises she doesn’t see herself as a hero, she undeniably made a life-changing impact on one family and has given Diguette another chance at life. Franczvai  believes doing the right thing is “second nature” to the 18-year-old.

“My view of her hasn’t changed, it’s just another layer to her story,” Franczvai said. “She’s [a] female Eagle Scout in her troop, [fluent in] four languages and has earned [thousands] in scholarships. Now, she’s also the person who saved a man’s life. Some students have a kind of magic about them, and Sophia is one of them.”