Julie Stroyne Nixon was walking out of her own wedding reception in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, still in her dress and heels, when she heard someone cry out for help. "Does anybody know CPR?" the voice called. "Is anyone a doctor?"
Nixon had already taken one new name that day. But as her instincts took over, she earned another: Bride Hero. Without stopping to think, she approached the injured party—a young woman who had lost consciousness—kicked off her shoes, and immediately started chest compressions. After a few minutes, the collapsed woman regained her heartbeat, began speaking, and tried to get up again, reports KDKA TV. She was quickly rushed off in an ambulance, and Nixon her husband, and the rest of the wedding party continued on their way.
Over the past few years, a number of Bride Heroes have proven that dresses and special occasions do not keep people from doing impressive stuff. Last fall, one recently married paramedic left her reception to head to the scene of a car crash involving her extended family. A couple of years previous, a woman saved a child from drowning during her lakeside engagement photo shoot.
When not getting married, Nixon is a trauma nurse at UPMC-Presbytarian hospital. "There's no time off," she told the Washington Observer-Reporter.
Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that's only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.