How a trio of angels saved Kristen’s life

HOW do you thank a stranger for saving your daughter’s life? It’s the question Scott and Kate Lucas have been grappling with since three people they never met brought their daughter, Kristen, back to life.

Kristen Lucas (2nd L) with (L - R) Ben Adorna, Jan Johnson and Edward Gooda who saved her life after she was hit by a car a month ago on Monday, July 13, 2015, in Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia. Picture: Hamish Blair

HOW do you thank a stranger for saving your daughter’s life?

It’s the question Scott and Kate Lucas have been grappling with since three people they never met brought their daughter, Kristen, back to life.

The 16-year-old remembers nothing of a car smashing into her in early June as she walked with headphones on along Cheltenham’s Graham Rd.

She doesn’t recall Jan Johnson, a retired nurse, stopping her car after spotting what looked like a “pile of fabric” sprawled on the road.

And she has no memory of Edward Gooda or Ben Adorna, both trained in CPR, rushing to Jan’s side moments later.

The heroic trio thought Kristen was gone; her breathing and pulse had stopped and her body was cold and lifeless.

But they continued CPR until the ambulance arrived.

Kristen was in an induced coma for two days. Her school was told to prepare counsellors for grieving students. But after four days she walked away from hospital with little more than bruises and scratches.

The Lucas family have been lost for ways to express their gratitude. They’ve taken the trio out for a meal and given them a card signed by family and friends to show that their actions not only saved a life but affected the lives of 30 others.

And they’ve nominated them for the Bravery Medal in the Pride of Australia awards.

But for Kristen’s saviours, the recognition seems gratuitous. “How could anyone go by and do nothing?” Jan asked.

Tune in to The Project on Channel 10 from 6.30pm tonight to watch Kristen reunite with her heroes.

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