Student Graduates College Thanks To Local Cops

Graduating from college is a huge milestone. After years of studying, jotting down notes, taking tests, and much more, graduating is a big relief. But for one local student, her ceremony had a bit more weight than the average student as she was greeted by a police officer who saved her life, making her graduation possible.

The Annie Fitzpatrick, then 20 years old, suffered a seizure in the parking lot of a Wawa store on February 12, 2016 when two Lower Merion Police officers saw her collapse.

Lower Merion Police Officer Jeff Sullivan was one of those officers and quickly jumped into action, performing chest compression and using an automated external defibrillator on Fitzpatrick.

Going into cardiac arrest caused Fitzpatrick to suffer a seizure.

Thanks to the quick work on that harrowing day, Fitzpatrick was able to walk across the stage at Harcum College's recent commencement ceremony, with Sullivan waiting for her right there on the stage.

"She's (Fitzpatrick) a great example of someone making the most of a second chance at life," Sullivan told 6ABC.

"I'm here because of him and I'm going to keep doing that," Fitzpatrick told the outlet.

Since recovering from the incident last year, Fitzpatrick promised herself that she would finish school at Harcum College and attend Drexel for environmental science.

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