'Angels around me:' Franklin mother and son honored with awards after saving man's life in November
FRANKLIN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- When Tessa Migliano and her 23-year-old son, Lukas, stepped onto their local indoor pickleball court in November, they didn't know they would end up saving a man's life.
The duo was playing when all of a sudden, a loud crash sounded and suddenly calls of "man down" began echoing through the room.
That's when they dropped their paddles and rushed over, finding a man in distress on the floor.
Tessa, a critical care nurse, immediately jumped into action, directing bystanders and witnesses to call for help and Lukas to grab the nearby AED device hanging on a wall.
#TONIGHT: A new friendship, born out of crisis, by strangers who were in the right place at the right time. My story for @CBS58 airs at 5p — tune in to meet the mother and son duo who saved one man’s life in November, and see why they’re being honored today. pic.twitter.com/ympWFMFyUp
— Ellie Nakamoto-White (@ellienw_news) December 30, 2022
Moments later, the man in crisis, Joe Bruno, was shocked back to life and transported to a nearby hospital.
“I don’t remember anything from falling down until I woke up in ICU," Bruno said. “I was in good health, and felt like all of a sudden, 'boom you're down,' so you never know.”
It's been a month since the incident, but the three said their lives have been forever changed.
“If she hadn’t been there, I don’t know if we’d be here," Lukas said.
Whether you call it a miracle or you call it fate, Bruno said he believes he was "surrounded by angels" that day.
“We were not supposed to go there. I don’t ever go at that time of the day," Tessa said.
On Friday, the mother and son were honored by the Franklin Fire Department with life-saving CPR awards in a ceremony.
"I was so thankful that Lukas was there, and we shared that experience," Tessa said. "I got a new friend."
Dec. 30 was the first day the three were able to see each other without masks and hug.
"We will be connected for life, I know we will," Bruno said. "There are life-savers in this world, and I certainly am grateful for that."