Bridgeville man and Sen. Devlin Robinson honored after saving delivery driver's life
A year after a single moment of crisis turned into a life-saving rescue, two men were reunited to share their story of compassion and heroism.
The Southwestern Pennsylvania chapter of the American Red Cross held the 2025 Power of Red: A Celebration of Heroes on
Wednesday at the Heinz History Center in the Strip District.
Among the five awards presented to local honorees was the Community Impact Heroes Award to Mark Macala of Bridgeville and his neighbor, Pennsylvania state Sen. Devlin Robinson. The two worked together to help save Adonis Whitmer, a FedEx delivery driver, when he collapsed in Macala's front yard.
"He just went blank and collapsed," said Macala when recalling the incident to KDKA-TV. "I kind of scrambled down off the steps and immediately called 911."
Robinson was pulling into his driveway when he saw Macala helping Whitmer, who doctors say was in cardiac arrest.
"He came over to help," said Macala of Robinson, who was absent from the event. "At that point, he basically punched Adonis in the chest. That got him to breathe, and it was a pretty cool move on his part. At that point, 911 got us to do CPR, so we started chest compressions."
Moments later, first responders arrived and took Whitmer to the hospital.
"I hadn't even met the guy," Macala said. "I didn't know his name. We were just kind of left in the dark, hoping this stranger was okay."
After two days in the hospital, Whitmer woke up.
"Even the doctors were really amazed how, pretty much, I was down for two days and I got up and started walking around," recalled Whitmer, who said the doctors referred to him as a "true miracle." "
If it wasn't for them, the outcome would've been a whole lot different," Whitmer added.
A year later, Whitmer says he's fully recovered, and he's been back to work for almost a month now. Since then, the three have developed a bond as friends, and they stay in contact for birthdays, holidays, and recently, commemorating the first anniversary of the day fate brought them together.
"I texted him and said, 'Happy anniversary,'" Macala recounted. "'Glad you're upright.'"
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