Dad saves 4-year-old daughter's life with CPR skills learned from an episode of 'The Office'

The popular mockumentary The Office has amassed many fans over the years who still rewatch the show to this day. While it's a light-hearted escape for most, the show is a true life-saver for some. In the case of a 4-year-old from Carmel, Indiana, named Vera Posy, the NBC sitcom literally saved her life. If you're an ardent fan of the show, surely you'll remember the episode where office manager Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) arranged for a CPR training session for the staff. While things go horribly awry quickly in the scene, there was one key piece of information that stayed with Posy's 46-year-old father Matt Uber and that ended up saving his daughter's life. 

During an interview with TODAY,  Uber recalled how the two were playing a game of tag when his 4-year-old suddenly collapsed on April 24. "She was just balled up against the corner. My natural assumption was that she had tripped and fallen and hit her head," recalled the father. "When I picked her up off the ground, she was just limp, her eyes were kind of rolled back." Uber immediately instructed his older daughter to call 911 while Vera lying flat on the floor. "I observed that she was not breathing and she was turning pale," said the concerned man who knew he had to do something quickly to save his daughter's life.

Thus, Uber immediately started chest compression and breaths until the emergency services arrived. Although he had no formal training, the 46-year-old remembered an episode called "Stress Relief" in the show's fifth season where employees at Dunder Mifflin were taught how to perform CPR. So, he placed his hand where he believed they should be and started compressions to the beat of the iconic Bee Gee song, Stayin' Alive. "When I was trying to think about what do I know about CPR, (my mind literally went) to that episode of The Office, where they are doing CPR training and doing the compressions to the beat of Stayin’ Alive, shared the Carmel resident. 

"It’s just what kicks in, what’s in your head, and that’s fortunate," Uber added. "I remembered to lift her neck and make sure that she wasn’t choking or having a seizure. I was panicked and it was chaotic. In the meantime, the wonderful 911 operator got on and talked me through the process." He continued performing CPR until the paramedics arrived and took over. After using a defibrillator, Posy was revived. "On the second delivery of shock, she responded and we heard her little cry," said Uber. Now he and his wife Erin are sharing their story in the hopes of helping people understand the importance of knowing CPR. 

"If you have a base of CPR and a knowledge of AED (automated external defibrillator) … you can change a family’s life, you can change a person’s life, which could change the world," explained Uber. While the father's basic knowledge of CPR made a huge difference in saving his daughter's life, Uber wasn't sure if it did until paramedics arrived. "Matt had felt some guilt — was he able to deliver CPR appropriately? — and he got lots of attention about being a hero," shared Erin. "Until he knew that it was delivered appropriately and adequately, he could not really rest."

Thus, the family wants everyone to learn CPR and understand the importance of an AED so they can contribute when their help is needed. "We know that every second, every moment that CPR was not initiated, it increased her risk of neurological damage or non-survival. Don’t hold back on learning CPR," Erin told TODAY. Agreeing with his wife, Uber added, “We were blessed. I would have had tremendous guilt about not being able to the right thing … had it turned out poorly. Just take the time to get this foundation. CPR is not a difficult skill but it can change the world."

Cover image source: Getty | Photo by Charnsit Ramyarupa / EyeEm (Representative) (L) IMDb (R)