Austin man meets St. David's nurse who saved his life at H-E-B

AUSTIN, Texas — Rod Glasper was both very unlucky and very lucky at the same time. He collapsed from an often-fatal heart arrhythmia -- but he did it next to the nurse of the year.

He was picking up some food at H-E-B, ahead of the Texas Tech-UT game, and says there was no hint of the trouble to come. "I was feeling fantastic all day. I had a good sleep and everything. No chest pains, nothing," he said. "I was feeling like I wanted to watch UT win, that's what I was feeling like."

Rod had been planning to watch the game with his wife in her hospital room, where she was recovering from a recent surgery. But next thing he knew -- it was a week later. "I left here to get these provisions and next thing you know I am waking up in a hospital bed myself." Rod said.

But Lily DeVarona remembers.

"I was getting some last-minute things to get ready for the game also and I rounded the corner and immediately just saw Rod laying on the ground," she said. Lily, who was named Nurse of the year at St. David's Surgical Hospital in February, began CPR and chest compressions. She and another bystander kept Rod alive for half an hour while they waited for EMS. "We were basically being his heart for him by doing CPR. Without that he would have been gone," she said.

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Rod was taken to the hospital where he underwent heart surgery, and woke up a week later. But he was told about the nurse who had saved his life --and Friday, he finally got to meet her where he was treated, St. David's Round Rock Medical Center. "Thank you so much," Rod said to Lilly. "I am so thrilled to meet you," she replied. " And I wanted to give you this small little token of some H-E-B 620 flowers," said Rod, handing her a bouquet of roses and lilies.

Even though Lily has saved lives before on the job, this one was different "In a bystander setting its just you and maybe another person just doing chest compressions and none of the other equipment," she said.

To be clear, it was not a heart attack. It was a heart arrhythmia that is often fatal and can happen to anyone.