Heroes in the Scoring Booth: How a VA Nurse and her Husband’s Training Saved a Life

Kelly Llewellyn, a nurse at the Tampa VA, and her husband Dennie were enjoying a morning of softball when Dennie was called to the scoring booth. There, he found Jeff Kleinholz slumped over, unresponsive, and turning blue. A partially eaten donut suggested choking, so Dennie tried the Heimlich maneuver, but nothing changed. Time was critical.

Dennie summoned Kelly, who rushed to the booth and immediately turned on the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) she had noticed days earlier. “The first time I had ever been to the field,” Kelly recalled, “I said to my husband, do you know if there is an AED at the field because there’s a bunch of older people here. I did notice they had an AED in the scoring booth.”

Working together, the Llewellyns placed Jeff on the ground. Kelly applied the AED pads and delivered the first shock. Dennie began CPR. Another analysis, another shock, more CPR. Amid the chaos, the donut dislodged. Then, a faint moan; Jeff was coming back. EMS arrived moments later and took over.

For Kelly, the timing was uncanny: “Some will say ‘why do we have the CPR training every quarter in the SIM lab? I’ve never done CPR on anybody.’ It’s ironic because I had just completed my quarterly training on Thursday and on Monday I’m doing it on a real person.”

Jeff survived. A week later, he greeted the Llewellyns at the ballpark, eyes gleaming with gratitude. “They were there at the right time,” Jeff said. “I’m just grateful that they’ve had so much training and that they just jumped in to save me.” His wife, Cindy, a Navy Veteran, added tearfully; “They are guardian angels. If not for them, I would have sent him off to a softball game that morning and that afternoon I would have become a widow.”

The Villages is a community built on readiness with more than 1,300 AEDs and boasts the nation’s largest neighborhood CPR/AED program. That day, those resources and the Llewellyns’ training made all the difference. “If you have the CPR training and if you have an AED available,” Kelly urges, “don’t be afraid to use it. Don’t be afraid about doing it right. Try to help.”

Dennie echoes the sentiment: “My biggest goal was inspiring people to get the CPR and AED training so when an emergency arises, they would be ready and willing to step in and act.”

On January 26, 2026, at the first CPR-AED Advisory Committee awards ceremony in The Villages, the Llewellyns were celebrated for their extraordinary actions. They received numerous honors, including: the Heartsaver Hero Award from the American Heart Association, the Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action from the American Red Cross and the Community Service Award from Wildwood Police Department.

One of the most meaningful recognitions came from Dr. Traci Solt, Chief Nursing Officer, Veterans Health Administration. She presented Kelly with the Bystander Turned Hero challenge coin, created by VA’s Resuscitation Education & Innovation (REdI) team, and an Office of Nursing Services challenge coin, honoring nursing excellence.

Dr. Solt reminded everyone, “While Jeff Kleinholz is not a Veteran, his wife Cindy is a Navy Veteran, a reminder that VA’s mission extends into the communities where Veterans and their families live. The VA is proud to be a learning organization. Through VHA SimLEARN and the REdI Program, we prepare our workforce for moments we hope never come but must always be ready for. Training is not just a requirement, it is readiness, it is confidence, it is action.”

Kelly doesn’t see herself as a hero: “I certainly do not feel like a hero by any means, though I know that the individuals that I impacted that day may tell you a different story.” But to Jeff and Cindy, and to the entire community, the Llewellyns are living proof that preparation saves lives.

Their story is a powerful reminder: Training matters. AEDs matter. Courage matters. And when those three come together, lives are changed forever.