Teen with Asperger's Syndrome saves grandfather's life

By Staff Writer

This week, Joe Posavitz's life was saved by his grandson. Ryan Reed, the 16-year-old teenager who saved his grandfather, has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.

The Weatherford Democrat reports that Posavitz experienced congestive heart failure and passed out behind the wheel of his car while other grandchildren were present. Reed took control of the car, called 911 and stayed on the line until paramedics arrived.

Reed relayed the details of the incident to his mother. He told her that Posavitz had pulled over to relieve himself. When he got back in the car, he put the gear in drive and became unconscious. Reed said that the car jumped the curb and was headed toward a fire hydrant, so he grabbed the wheel and turned on the hazard lights.

Reed's mother told the news source that Ryan was beaming with pride. She added that he knows he did a wonderful thing by saving someone's life, and he knows how important that is.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, experts in population studies conservatively estimate that two out of every 10,000 children have Asperger's Syndrome.