“Do you know what it’s like to give CPR to your girlfriend’s grandma, on Christmas?” That’s the powerful and captivating introduction to a viral video filmed by Lizzy Bristow, aka TikToker @bodybydaddy. The ‘Daddy of Queer Fitness’ explained how she saved her partner’s 91-year-old homophobic grandmother’s life in detail.
The senior, Dana, began choking on her steak at dinner and Lizzy rushed to help her once she started turning blue and when her gf’s brother failed to administer the Heimlich maneuver correctly. 31-year-old Lizzy, who runs ‘Body by Daddy,’ is CPR-certified, so she knew what she was doing and immediately took over. Luckily, things had a happy ending, however, there were quite a few dramatic and scary ups and downs. Scroll down for the full story and to watch Lizzy’s entire video that got 1.5 million likes and was viewed a jaw-dropping 7.7 million times.
"It still feels unreal that it happened," Lizzy told Bored Panda.
"I keep up with CPR training as a trainer and attend a class every other year, but you never actually think you'll have to do it. It has definitely given me more confidence in myself. I hope more people think about getting CPR certified after watching [my video], and I was very happy people found my storytelling entertaining," she said.
"I would hope that the video entertained people and encouraged them to get CPR certified. That was the aim of the video. The homophobic bit was just to add some humor background on my relationship with Dana," she revealed. Scroll down for the rest of our interview with Lizzy and for an update about how Dana is doing.
Coach Lizzy was having Christmas dinner with her girlfriend and her family when the 91-year-old grandmother suddenly started to choke on her food
Here's the full story about how Lizzy became a hero
"Dana is doing well, she went into the hospital the next day, the chest X-ray showed every rib broken. She spent three days in the hospital then and is at her home now. Family and friends are taking care of her. She's in the same spirit as before this happened," Lizzy shared with Bored Panda.
The fitness trainer stressed the fact that CPR training can really save lives and her main goal was to spread this message. "It's such an easy skill to learn that anyone can be taught how to do it. You never want to look back and regret that someone in the room didn't know CPR. Think if you, yourself passed out. I hope someone in the room knows CPR."
You can watch the coach's full energetic TikTok video right over here
The senior passed out as Lizzy applied the Heimlich maneuver, so that’s when the coach started administering CPR to her. Eventually, she succeeded in reviving her and the piece of steak, that caused the entire dramatic situation, then appeared in the senior’s mouth. Her son, the coach’s gf’s dad, quickly pulled it out.
The 91-year-old regained consciousness and Lizzy was ecstatic, feeling like she had won the Super Bowl. About an hour before the incident, the grandma had asked the fitness coach whether she was "the boy."
The coach was so strong that she actually broke all of the senior’s ribs. That’s not literary hyperbole—Lizzy literally broke all of the woman’s ribs. The grandmother is currently recuperating in the hospital and is likely to make a full recovery.
"Soo thankful I am certified, as a trainer, I keep up my CPR every two years. I own my own fitness company. Her family's reaction was—so thankful, lots of hugs, and her brother was calling me an angel, saying praise 2. (2 is my nickname since my girlfriend's name is Lizzie),” Lizzy told Newsweek.
Some time later, she posted an update about her gf's grandma who is recovering in the hospital
Earlier, Bored Panda had an in-depth discussion about homophobia with British psychotherapist Silva Neves. He explained to us that homophobia is learned behavior and becomes entrenched due to how people are raised.
“If people grew up with homophobic parents and they haven't been exposed to different opinions, they are more likely to be homophobic themselves,” Silva said. According to him, people growing up in religious households are more likely to grow up to be homophobic.
“Most religions promote the inaccurate idea that same-sex relationships and sexual behaviors are unnatural, wrong, against their God, and a sin,” he said.
“Even recently, the Pope declared that same-sex marriages were not endorsed by the Church. Islam is also very homophobic. Most Islamic countries have anti-gay laws with punishment ranging from imprisonment to the death penalty. Many people in the UK growing up in such households are more likely to be homophobic,” Silva went into detail.
“Teenagers can be homophobic as a way to conform to heterosexuality and be more accepted by their peers,” he added.
You can watch the follow-up video right over here
Here's how the internet reacted to the coach's story about saving the senior's life
