Runner reunites with doctor who saved her life after collapsing during Jersey City Half Marathon
SPRINGFIELD, New Jersey (WABC) -- An emotional reunion took place Thursday between a high school basketball coach who collapsed while running a half marathon in Jersey City, and the quick-acting doctor running right behind her, who saved her life.
Dr. Shane Naidoo and Chrystal Rinehold met under unforeseen circumstances during the Jersey City Half Marathon last weekend, when Rinehold collapsed near mile marker 7.
"I felt delirious, and you know you feel all of those things," Rinehold said.
Others along the course ran over to help, but then Dr. Naidoo, who had made a quick stop, caught up and took over her care immediately.
"She was feeling chest pain, she had this impending sense of doom - is how we referred to it, and those are big red flags to say, 'alright, we need to start things now,'" Dr. Naidoo said.
Rinehold says the energy and compassion from Dr. Naidoo is what she remembers the most.
"My goal is definitely to give back, you just have to, you can't let the story end there," Rinehold said.
NJ.com reporter Steve Politi found their story, which gets even better.
Dr. Naidoo went to the hospital with Rinehold that day, and once he knew she would be OK, he went back out to finish the race.
He made it back just as officials were reopening the roads.
"I started jogging, and as I started jogging one of the advocates - one of the volunteers from the race organization, she stops me and asks, 'are you the last runner,'" Dr. Naidoo said. "And I go, 'I think I am.'"
They saw him and escorted him as he ran his final miles. Two fellow runners went back to the finish line just for him.
"They cheered me on, because when I got there, they said they didn't want me to cross the finish line alone," Dr. Naidoo said.
Rinehold said she was very emotional watching Naidoo cross the finish line.
"I was like, this guy is something special," she said.
With surgical precision Dr. Naidoo sliced his half marathon medal in half to share it with Rinehold.
The two also found out they have even more in common.
Rinehold is recovering and waiting to return to work as Elizabeth High School's Girl's Basketball coach.
Some of her students, who found out, are Dr. Naidoo's relatives.
With that, new friends have become family.
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