The American Red Cross has conferred one of its highest distinctions to a teenager after he used a defibrillator to help resuscitate a man who had collapsed on a golf course amid a medical emergency that otherwise likely would have killed him.

Hudson Mobley, 17, was directly responsible for the fact that the man whom he aided that day was still living, according to officials who honored him recently during a rally at his New Orleans-area high school.

“I’m very grateful for all the awards – I’m grateful for everything but most of all I’m grateful … the guy survived,” Mobley said to CBS affiliate WWL Louisiana and other local news outlets. “That’s really the best thing you could wish for, you know?”

Mobley was working at Chateau Golf and Country Club in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner last October when he spotted a crowd gathered at the driving range. He jumped out of the golf cart he was riding, approached and realized a man had lost consciousness from suffering cardiac arrest.

As he recounted, Mobley made sure someone had called emergency responders and began performing chest compression on the fallen man. A bystander soon appeared with an automated external defibrillator, a portable device that can be used to treat a person whose heart has suddenly stopped beating.

Mobley had familiarized himself with how to handle that machine – which can administer electrical shocks if necessary – as part of two Red Cross classes that he took separately as part of his training to become a lifeguard. And he used it that fateful day, buying the unconscious man valuable time.

First responders soon arrived and brought the man to a nearby hospital. Local firefighters who were among those to respond to Chateau that day later wrote on Facebook that the stricken man was “alive because of Hudson’s heroic act”.

The chief executive of Louisiana’s Red Cross chapter, Kenneth St Charles, reiterated that claim at the rally held by Mobley’s school, Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies.

“Hudson saved this man’s life,” said St Charles, whose nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing emergency and disaster relief. “He knew how to set [the defibrillator] up, he knew what he needed to do with the victim’s chest to get ready for the shock [and] he administered those shocks.”

St Charles soon handed Mobley a certificate of merit signed by Joe Biden, who had been in New Orleans a couple of days before the rally.

After receiving the president’s certificate, Mobley told reporters that he remembered how he sat on a curb and began crying as an ambulance took away the man whom he had rescued. One of the first responders asked Mobley if he was OK while commending the teen for the job he had done.

“I didn’t really think about much until I was actually doing this – then it clicked with me: ‘Hey, I’m right in the middle of this,’” Mobley said, according to WWL. “It got pretty scary.”

The following was provided by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services:

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced the opening of the Phase 3 SUN Bucks application period on August 19, 2024. While most children who qualify for SUN Bucks were automatically enrolled and provided benefits during Phases 1 and 2, some families will need to complete an application to receive benefits.

Families can complete an online application by CLICKING HERE. A paper application option is also available for those who prefer to apply by mail. The application period will close on September 20, 2024.

SUN Bucks, funded by the USDA, aims to support low-income families by providing grocery-buying benefits during the summer when children do not receive school meals. Each eligible child receives a one-time benefit of $120. SUN Bucks must be used within 122 days from the date of issuance. This program is a critical part of Louisiana’s efforts to ensure that every child has access to nutritious food year-round.

Nearly $72 million in SUN Bucks benefits have been distributed to almost 600,000 children who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) or Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) benefits. In the final round of Phase 2, an additional $7 million in SUN Bucks benefits will be issued this week to approximately 59,000 students who qualified for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) during the 2023-2024 school year.

Who should apply during Phase 3?

Whether or not a child needs to apply may depend on the type of school they attend.

Children who should apply:

• Students at Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools: All students at CEP schools receive free school meals without having to complete a form. CEP students who were not automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks during Phase 1 (SNAP recipients) or Phase 2 (Medicaid, FITAP, KCSP, & NSLP) will need to fill out a SUN Bucks application. Families unsure of their child’s enrollment status can verify by contacting their child’s school or calling the SUN Bucks helpline at 833-323-7482.
• Children experiencing homelessness
• Migrant children

Children who should not need to apply:

• Children who have already been issued benefits: Children ages 5-18 (born between August 15, 2005, and July 1, 2018) who received SNAP, income-based Medicaid, FITAP or KCSP benefits during the 2023-2024 school year.
• Students at National School Lunch Program (NSLP) schools who applied and qualified for free or reduced-price meals: Most public schools and some private schools participate in the NSLP. The SUN Bucks program will issue EBT cards to eligible NSLP students this week.

What about students at virtual and homeschools?

Children who do not attend NSLP/CEP schools are not eligible for SUN Bucks unless they received SNAP, income-based Medicaid, FITAP, or KCSP benefits at any time between July 1, 2023, and August 15, 2024, and were born between August 15, 2005, and July 1, 2018.

Children who were streamline certified in Phase 1 or Phase 2 were automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks and many have already received their one-time $120 benefit. Parents who think their child may be eligible for SUN Bucks should apply.

Important Notes for Families:

• Check Your School’s Status: To determine whether your child’s school is a CEP school, please visit the 2024 CEP school list available at la/cep24. Alternatively, families can ask their child’s school directly or check for posted information on the school’s website.
• Application Period: The application period opens on August 19, 2024, and will close on September 20, 2024. Families can apply online at https://louisiana.summerebtapp.com.
• Card Issuance: Phase 3 recipients will receive new EBT cards mailed to the provided address on the application. Phase 2 cards are still being mailed out as Phase 3 begins. Recipients are advised to look out for plain white envelopes with an Erie, Pennsylvania, return address containing their SUN Bucks card and activation instructions. Envelopes will be addressed to the eligible child. Families with more than one child may receive their children’s cards at different times.
• Benefit Usage: SUN Bucks can be used to purchase SNAP-eligible food items at stores that accept EBT cards. The benefits must be used within 122 days from the date of issuance.

For additional information or assistance with the application process, please contact the SUN Bucks helpline at 833-323-7482, email sunbucks@la.gov or visit sunbucks.la.gov.

Copyright 2024 Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. All rights reserved.

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – A Dallas man pleaded guilty Monday to a charge related to a high-speed pursuit through East Texas last October.

Christopher Powell, 19, was arrested in Smith County on Oct. 16, 2023, after a stolen Camaro fled from Louisiana through East Texas. On Monday, Powell pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a criminal instrument in Judge Kerry L. Russell’s Court.

Along with Powell, two other suspects were arrested after the pursuit. Everl Cardenas-Villanueva, 23, of Dallas, Terrence Boley, 19, of Monroe, LA, and Powell were all charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle, unlawful use of a criminal instrument, unlawful carrying of a weapon, and evading arrest. Cardenas received an additional charge of possession of marijuana

Boley pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a criminal instrument on March 28 in Russell’s court. On May 6, he was sentenced to five years’ probation and 120 hours of community service.

Cardenas pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a criminal instrument and evading arrest on June 6 in Russell’s court. On July 8, he was sentenced to five years’ probation and 120 hours of community service.

Powell’s pre-sentence hearing is set for Sept. 25. He faces three years’ probation for the offense.

+ Smith County deputies arrest 3 after pursuit from Louisiana

+ Dallas man gets probation for stolen car chase through East Texas

Copyright 2024 KLTV. All rights reserved.