An act of heroism. Back in June 2024, Mark Reissig, a Walworth grandfather, began his routine bike ride when he felt something strange. Feeling fatigued, Reissig struggled to keep his pace and got off his bike. He was having a heart attack. Thankfully, Molly Ames, a passing driver noticed what was happening, called 911, and performed CPR. She saved Reissig's life.
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Reissig is a very athletic grandfather. Before his heart attack, he didn't suffer from any heart conditions whatsoever. "I used to bike 160 miles a week on average, I've been doing it for 30 years. I actually am a triathlete," said Reissig to WHAM. "I've had no prior indication of any health problems with my heart whatsoever, no family history of it, and so it was devastating."
Molly Ames was driving past Reissig when got off his bike in distress. "The way he got off his bike seemed a little distressed," said Ames. "He seemed like he was struggling. And something in my head just told me that something wasn't right."
Saving Reissig's Life
Reissig told her to call 911 after she asked if he was ok. Megan Williams, Wayne County 911 dispatcher, answered the call and instructed Ames to perform CPR while the ambulance made its way to Reissig's location. She performed CPR for seven minutes. Medical professionals then were able to restart Reissig's heart, which had been in cardiac arrest for half an hour.
Fortunately for Reissig, Ames's help allowed him to stay alive and keep enjoying his grandchildren. "Molly was just a citizen. She was driving by, saw someone struggling — a total stranger — opened up her window and said, 'You okay?'" said Reissig.
Reissig feels forever thankful and in debt to Ames. "She is and forever will be my hero," said Reissig. "She helped a total stranger, and without thinking about, how much it would have impacted her life, she just acted and acted exactly the right thing at the exactly the right time. And I can, I can never, never repay and never thank her enough."
On October 3, the Town of Walworth, New York, recognized Ames's heroic actions with a Proclamation. "Last night, the Town Board had the privilege of presenting Molly Ames of Sodus with a Proclamation honoring her heroic actions of administering lifesaving CPR to Teresa Drive resident Mark Reissig in June of this year," reads a Facebook post.
