ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Thursday night, the Buffalo Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins, but what you didn't see was the nurse who saved another fan's life in the first quarter, thanks to CPR.
"It was the most terrifying and most gratifying moment of my entire life," said Candice Dodge, of Clifton Springs, N.Y.
Dodge and her father, Brian, were looking forward to Thursday night's game for a while. Dodge said she used to be a Miami fan growing up, but switched to rooting for Buffalo years ago.
Dodge took this selfie prior to kickoff, and minutes later noticed her father didn't look too well.
WATCH: Bills Mafia helps woman reconnect with nurse who helped save her father's life at Buffalo Bills game
"I said, 'Dad, are you OK?'" she explained. "He said, 'I think I just need a break,' but I turned around and he was not OK."
The 68-year-old had lost color in his face and had no pulse.
"I truly thought I lost him," said Dodge.
As fans began recognizing what was happening, people called for help and gave Dodge space in the stands. That's when Danielle Johnson, a nurse, was passing by, heading to the bathroom.
"I just told them I'm a nurse, is something wrong"? explained Johnson, who saw Brian Dodge slumped over.
"She came over, and quickly checked my dad's pulse, and she said he does not have a pulse," explained Dodge. "She threw him down on the bleachers and began CPR immediately."
Johnson, of Barneveld, N.Y., is a licensed nurse who helps people with developmental disabilities. After five to 10 minutes of CPR, she brought Brian back to life.
"CPR is one of the most important things; you never know when you're going to need it," said Johnson. "You never know when it will come in handy."
The Bills staff and EMT's took Brian in a wheelchair to a medical area. Dodge said they ran tests on her father, which all came back "normal." She then drove her father two hours back home to Clifton Springs and checked into the emergency room late Thursday night.
"We did watch the game on the way home to see the Bills win," Dodge laughed.
Johnson tried finding them during the game. She said she was "worried" about Brian, but when she got back home, she went on Facebook. That's where she saw this post from Candice, looking for Johnson. It was shared nearly 1,000 times within Bills Mafia fan groups, leading Johnson to discover it and reach out.
As of Friday afternoon, Brian Dodge remained in the hospital. Candice said her father has "a clean bill of health," and is forever grateful for Johnson.
"We have this forever bond now, so we're going to meet up for lunch sometime and hit up a couple games together hopefully," said Johnson.
It just so happens that prior to Thursday night's game, the Bills and American Heart Association honored a group for saving the life of a woman who went into cardiac arrest at the Return of the Blue & Red practice in August.
