Highlights
- Mesa teen Laya Jackson performed CPR on Wisconsin National Guard 1st Sgt. Clint Vervoren after he collapsed during a morning run on June 27.
- Vervoren was later found to have a 99% arterial blockage, a condition known as a 'widowmaker' heart attack, with no prior symptoms.
- Jackson received a medal from the City of Mesa for her actions; she said she learned CPR through a school assignment.
- 911 dispatchers coached Jackson through the procedure until first responders arrived and continued care.
A Mesa teenager kept a Wisconsin National Guardsman alive on June 27 after he collapsed mid-run with a near-total arterial blockage, earning a City of Mesa medal for her response.
Laya Jackson witnessed 1st Sgt. Clint Vervoren collapse roughly 30 minutes into a morning run near the volleyball tournament his daughter was competing in. She called 911 and began CPR, guided by dispatchers, until fire and paramedic crews arrived. Medical evaluation afterward revealed Vervoren had a 99% blockage in one of the arteries around his heart. He said there were no signs or symptoms before he went down.
"The training that she received through school on a stuffed animal was able to save me," Vervoren said, crediting Jackson alongside the 911 dispatchers and the first responders who continued care on scene.
Jackson, who described learning CPR as a school assignment rather than a skill she anticipated using, said the muscle memory took over. "When I did it in an actual emergency, it was just...I kind of just did it," she said. "Felt like I automatically did it."
AZFamily first reported the story Monday. The City of Mesa medal presentation has already taken place.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- AZ Family (3TV/CBS5) retrieved 17/08/2026 16:55
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 17/08/2026 16:55. Every claim traces to a source.
