Mother's Day this year could have been very different without the quick thinking of two Wiscasset sisters, Bryleigh and Neveah Thiboutot who rushed into action last Nov. 29 to save their grandfather's life, assisted by their friend Gavin Bonang.

Dennis Mosier, "Buppa" to the girls and dad to Heidi Thiboutot, was stringing holiday lights outdoors at his Woolwich home with the help of the girls and Bonang. At the time, Neveah was 17 and Bryleigh was 16.

"He (Mosier) bent over to plug in a light and stood up but then fell back," Neveah said. She shouted to her sister Bryleigh who said she saw Buppa "slowly fall backwards and he turned purple." 

Bryleigh ran inside to get blankets and alert her mother Heidi and Mosier's wife Vicki (who the girls call "Mammy") After calling 911, Neveah handed the phone to her mother and started CPR.

As Neveah explained, she decided to start CPR because Mosier wasn't responsive. "I rubbed his sternum with my knuckle and when there was no reaction I started CPR. I just knew how to do it from watching videos on YouTube," she said. "I never took classes, I just tried to do it. I went with my gut."

When Neveah got tired from doing chest compressions, her boyfriend Gavin Bonang alternated with her. 

"I thought 'This can't be real,' " Heidi said."When she started doing CPR, his color started to change."

Adding to the fortunate circumstances, cousin Robert Nibarger lives close to the Mosier home and is a lieutenant with Woolwich Fire/Rescue Department.  Heidi explained, "He had just come home from work and heard the call go out."

Asked how long she and Bonang continued CPR, Neveah said, "It felt like hours but it was maybe three minutes. Once the signal went out, Rob came right by, he had oxygen and an AED with him." Mosier was shocked twice, started breathing on his own, sat up and walked to the stretcher, a couple of feet away. Neveah said his doctors told her that she and Bonang did CPR correctly. 

Neveah said she was in shock afterward. Heidi said Neveah likes to watch medical programs on television and YouTube. "She watches all sorts of interesting things, some from her own interest and some because of a heart condition in the family. Her instincts are on point." 

Nevaeh is now 18, graduating this year and currently works in a veterinary clinic. She wants to qualify for a veterinary technician license when she can. 

Bryleigh is 17 and a junior in high school. She is taking a welding class at Bath Tech and is very interested in a welding career once she graduates.

The family said Mosier recovered after receiving care at the hospital. In fact, in a May 7 followup to the story, Heidi said, "Today my dad went to his cardiac surgeon and was given ‘the boot’ and told he only wants to see him if they are delivering more cookies! Today was a great milestone!"