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Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer
Even 30,000 feet in the air, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews showed he can come through in the clutch.
On Thursday, Andrews assisted a woman who experienced a medical emergency during a Southwest Airlines flight from Baltimore to Phoenix. Andrews, who is a Type 1 diabetic, provided a diabetic testing kit that led to the woman being stabilized for the rest of the flight.
“It was scary,” Andrew Springs, a passenger who first recounted the story via social media, told ESPN. “It was touch and go there for a while. And I think the coolest part is, if anybody who’s ever watched Mark Andrews, they knew exactly what was going to happen. It was just very classic Mark Andrews where it’s like, in times of need, people like that step up.”
About three hours into the flight, passengers noticed a woman sitting in the middle of the plane had a medical issue. According to Springs, she was in and out of consciousness and was quickly being attended to by a doctor and nurse who were also passengers. Springs overheard that the woman’s heart rate, pulse and blood pressure were extremely low.
After hearing the doctor and nurse ask the woman numerous questions, Andrews popped up from his aisle seat and asked if they knew if her blood sugar was low.
Andrews showed the doctor and nurse how to administer the finger prick test kit. They then gave her orange juice, which helped her get through the remaining 90 minutes of the flight. The woman was able to walk off the flight, Springs said.
The Phoenix Fire Department said the woman was in stable condition upon receiving an evaluation after the flight landed and then refused any further treatment or a trip to the hospital.
“In addition to the fast acting flight attendants, the real heroes are the nurse and doctor who also happened to be on the plane,” Andrews said in a statement released by the Ravens. “Thankfully, they were able to provide the woman the quick assistance she needed.”
Southwest Airlines declined to disclose names or specific details but confirmed that medical personnel met the flight once it arrived in Phoenix.
“We are appreciative of the efforts of our crew, medical personnel and fellow customers who assist others during these in-flight situations,” the airline’s statement read.
Andrews is a three-time Pro Bowl player known for his toughness, work ethic and ability to come through at timely moments. This season, he was able to come back to play in the AFC Championship Game just two months after cracking his left fibula.
Four days after Baltimore’s 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Andrews found himself in another instance where he came through under pressure.
“It was a team effort,” said Springs, 34, a Baltimore native and Ravens fan who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. “But if Mark doesn’t pipe up. … I don’t know if they even come to the conclusion, ‘Hey, let’s try and get something sweet or sugar.’
“Unsung heroes deserve to have their songs sung too.”
ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss contributed to this report.
