On July 7, 2023, paramedics Boyd Hansbro and Gabriel Morales had just completed a hospital transport in Grand Prairie, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, when a call came in at 1:30 p.m. A person had collapsed at a local gym.
“Ninety-nine times out of 100, it’s just someone who overexerted themselves and passed out,” Boyd recalled. “So it didn’t raise any red flags.”
Although the emergency fell outside their usual service area, Boyd and Gabriel—members of the Grand Prairie Fire Department—were closest to the scene and responded to the 24 Hour Fitness where the incident occurred.
Left to right: Firefighter/EMTP Gabriel Morales, LT/EMTP Chris Sieg, Demetra Hight (sister), Tracy Floyd (mom), Jaylen Floyd, Roderick Floyd (dad), Firefighter/EMTP Boyd Hansbro, Firefighter/EMTP Brent Flath, Firefighter/EMTP Thomas Haire
En route, an update from dispatch changed everything: the person was not breathing.
A fire truck had already arrived on scene. Firefighters Chris Sieg, Pat Schuster, Thomas Haire, and Brent Flath were performing CPR on a 17-year-old Black teen named Jaylen Floyd. They had delivered two shocks with a defibrillator, inserted an airway device, and administered epinephrine. Moments later, Boyd and Gabriel arrived, with Boyd taking the lead as paramedic.
“When we arrive, it’s all business,” Boyd said. “No matter the situation, we know exactly what needs to be done.”
Boyd immediately gathered information from Jaylen’s friends. They believed Jaylen had been resting on a curl bar when a nearby gym-goer noticed he wasn’t breathing. That gym member had already begun CPR before first responders arrived—a move Boyd described as lifesaving.
“They were doing a fantastic job,” Boyd said. “That person probably did more than anyone to ensure Jaylen had a chance.”
After about 15 minutes on scene, Jaylen was transported by ambulance to the Medical Center of Arlington. Boyd noted that another shock had to be administered during transport. Just a minute from the hospital, Boyd was providing bag-valve-mask ventilations when something remarkable happened.
“He completely emptied the bag with one breath,” Boyd recalled. “I thought, ‘He’s going to make it.’ I’d never seen anything like it before.”
Jaylen was initially stabilized at Medical Center of Arlington, then transferred to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, where he spent five days in the ICU. Doctors later diagnosed him with long QT syndrome, a heart rhythm condition that caused the cardiac arrest. He now has a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator and takes beta-blockers.
“He is doing absolutely amazing,” said his mother, Tracy Floyd. “We were truly blessed.”
Jaylen, a high school senior and alto saxophonist in the Timberview High School band, will graduate on May 24, 2024, and plans to attend Oklahoma State University.
“He’s such a good kid,” Tracy added. “No trouble at all—and I’m very thankful for that.”
Recently, Jaylen and his family reunited with the first responders who helped save his life. Emotions ran high as they exchanged hugs and gratitude.
“You cannot put a price on a human life,” Tracy said. “There aren’t enough thanks, hugs, or money. I’m extremely grateful. They responded selflessly—even though it wasn’t their call. My deepest gratitude goes to them.”
She also expressed appreciation for the lay responder who initiated CPR and emphasized the importance of learning lifesaving skills—especially in communities of color.
A 2022 study in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation showed that Black and Hispanic children are less likely than white children to receive bystander CPR during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
“My message is simple: learn how to do chest compressions or use an AED,” Tracy said. “Jaylen is a Black child, and statistics show you’re less likely to respond to someone like him. But he has a whole life ahead of him—and CPR saved it. It literally saved my son’s life.”
As EMS Week marks its 50th anniversary, Boyd said he’ll always remember how he and his team fought to give Jaylen a second chance.
He also encourages the public to learn CPR properly—not from movies where it’s often depicted inaccurately.
“Learn the basics,” Boyd said. “Just chest compressions. You could save someone’s life.”