Detroit teen honored for performing CPR on neighbor
DETROIT (FOX 2) - When 15-year-old Gregory Pope III heard his neighbors shouting for help, he was quick to jump into action.
Some say he’s a hero, but he feels that he just did the right thing at the right time.
"I just feel like a regular person that just did a good deed," Pope said. "It’s really nothing."
Pope was inside his Detroit home, playing video games, when he heard the commotion outside. He rushed outside to find his neighbor, John Lee, having a medical emergency. He helped Lee out of his vehicle, and began performing CPR on him. Unfortunately, Lee did not survive.
The humble Henry Ford High School student was awarded the Spirit of Detroit Award on Tuesday for his efforts.
"When it all happened, I froze up, and I couldn’t do nothing," said the teen's father, Gregory Pope II. "He looked (me) dead in my eyes and said, 'Pops I got it.’"
"Nobody basically knew how to really do CPR, so I just did what I know – did CPR," Pope said.
What's truly impressive is that Pope attempted to help without any formal CPR training.
"We got back in the house and I was like 'Son, where did you get that from?' He was like ‘Dad, I got it from a TV show,'" his father added.
The high school's coach, Casey Smith, said Pope is "a leader as a young man" and "a treasure to have."
"That's what I know Greg to do," Smith continued. "He’s so caring, he’s so thoughtful, he’s selfless. He always puts the needs of others before his own."