Michael Grahl, 20, embraces his longtime girlfriend Crystal Miracle, 20, from his hospital bed at Lapeer Regional Medical Center on Tuesday. Miracle, of Lapeer, performed life saving CPR on Grahl and restored his breathing when he had a severe reaction to medication Sunday evening. Photo by MIKE MERCIER

Grahl's longtime girlfriend Crystal Miracle, likely saved his life Sunday night. The Lapeer woman, 20, performed CPR on Grahl, 20, when he collapsed and stopped breathing.

"I never thought I'd have the opportunity to use CPR, let alone use it on my boyfriend," Miracle said. "It just puts things in a new perspective. It makes you look at each other in a different way."

The couple was watching television Sunday evening and at first it appeared that Grahl, who is rarely sick, drifted off to sleep.

"He looked kind of startled, like you do when you wake up suddenly," Miracle said. "He did this about three times. Then he started choking and blood came out of his mouth. He was unconscious."

Miracle ran upstairs to get Grahl's parents. In only moments, he turned blue and his lips were purple. Miracle phoned 9-1-1.

Miracle's mother, Susan Atwell, was on duty and nearing the end of an overtime shift as a dispatcher when the call came in for help at 7:50 p.m. Atwell overheard dispatcher Cindy Carr assisting the caller, her own daughter, from the Laur Road residence.

"I knew Crystal was with her boyfriend and his parents at their house," Atwell said. "I heard that a man had collapsed and stopped breathing. I thought it was Michael's stepdad at first. Michael is never sick."

Carr told Miracle and Grahl's parents to put the unconscious young man safely on the floor and begin CPR.

"She began giving instructions, and I said, 'I know how to do that,'" Miracle said. "I handed the phone to his dad. It all came back to me. I took a public safety class in high school and became certified in CPR."

Miracle performed the life saving procedures and restored Grahl's breathing. The ambulance arrived and transported him to Lapeer Regional Medical Center. Doctors determined that Grahl, who was being treated for a medical disorder, suffered a rare, but life-threatening side effect from the pain medication prescribed by his doctor.

"They said it was so rare, they never saw it before," Miracle said. "I just keep thinking, what if I hadn't taken the class? What if I hadn't been there?"

Grahl woke up on the way to the hospital and remembers nothing about the incident.

"She was there for me like she always is," he said. "I'm a lucky guy."

Susan Younger may be reached at (810) 664-0811, Ext. 8122 or susan.younger@lapeergroup.com