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It was an unusually warm, 70-degree day in November 2020 when Sonnita Fairfax saved a life on the side of the road.
As she was exiting the Dan Ryan Expressway, creeping slowly up the 75th Street off-ramp, Sonnita noticed cars pulled over on the side.
"I thought it was a car accident," Sonnita said. "But then I heard a guy yelling, 'Do you know CPR? Do you know CPR?'"
Sonnita is a patient care technician (PCT) at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. PCTs serve as integral members of care teams, assisting patients with daily activities like showering, grooming, dressing and eating.
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When she looked out her car window and saw a young boy lying on the ground, Sonnita's instincts took over.
"I just jumped out of the car; I put my car in park, but I didn't take the key out or anything. I just jumped out," Sonnita said. "The boy's mom was crying, 'My baby, my baby!' Then, I took a deep breath, got him in position, and instantly started CPR. I finally got a pulse for him, and another man — he was an off-duty firefighter — arrived and took over CPR. Then, I started consoling the boy's mom."
She told Sonnita what had happened: the 5-year-old boy had a seizure in the backseat and wasn't breathing, so she pulled over immediately to seek help.
I just jumped out of the car; I put my car in park, but I didn't take the key out or anything. I just jumped out.
Sonnita Fairfax, Patient Care Technician at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
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After he was later taken to the hospital, Sonnita checked in frequently for updates on his condition. A few days later, Sonnita received startling news: the boy had tested positive for COVID-19.
Though she had no symptoms at the time, Sonnita immediately told her manager and started quarantining. She developed a mild infection and ended up spending her birthday, Nov. 19, on a porch, distanced from her family.
"My grandson was saying, 'I just want to come give you a hug.' And I was like, 'I know, but you can't,'" she said. "So they sang 'Happy Birthday' to me on the porch."
Today, Sonnita says, despite what happened to her, she would not hesitate to act again if she were in the same situation with the ability to help. She even is still in touch with the boy’s family.
"He's fine," Sonnita said. "I'm Facebook friends with his mom and everything now."
