Ravens' Mark Andrews offers diabetes test kit to help save woman during in-flight medical emergency
Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews helped save a woman's life during a flight to Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday morning.
The 27-year-old, who has Type 1 diabetes, offered his test kit to a doctor and nurse on the plane as they struggled to find a strong pulse in a woman who was struggling to breathe without oxygen.
Fellow passenger Andrew Springs witnessed the "scary" medical emergency and detailed the three-time Pro Bowler's heroics on social media.
"Her blood pressure was extremely low," Springs wrote in a thread posted to X, "A man in the aisle seat popped up, 'Could it be her blood sugar? I have a diabetic testing kit.' It was Ravens [tight end] Mark Andrews. Andrews instructed the medical professionals (equal citizen heroes in this story) on using his test kit. Eventually her heart-rate stabilized."
Andrews later confirmed the events, offering credit to the medical professionals on the flight.
"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 from the Ravens. "Thankfully they were able to provide the woman the quick assistance she needed."
Paramedics met the flight upon its landing to tend to the woman immediately, according to Springs' X thread. He described Andrews' departure from the place as quiet, with "no fanfare."
Andrews was born in Scottsdale, Arizona. Following the Ravens’ 17-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game on Jan. 28, he was likely traveling home for the offseason.
He recorded two receptions on two targets for 15 yards in the team's defeat, his first appearance since Week 11. Andrews was coming back from a cracked fibula and ankle ligament damage he sustained during a win over the Cincinnati Bengals that required surgery and landed him on injured reserve. He was activated just in time for the AFC championship, as the Ravens needed all hands on deck for their pursuit of a Super Bowl berth.
While the Ravens didn't get the happy ending they were looking for, the loss ultimately allowed Andrews to be a hero in someone else's story.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition with the pancreas making little to no insulin. Andrews was diagnosed at nine years old and has spoken about the difficulties of the experience.
Having cited the importance of managing his blood sugar with diet and support from his family to avoid complications, he's also been candid about his dedication to raising awareness about diabetes:
"For me, it's just showing people that I'm not shy about my diabetes," Andrews told CBS in July 2023. "I'm not scared to show people that I am a Type 1 diabetic. I'm going to wear it on my sleeve and show people that it doesn't matter what I have. I am going to persevere and be great."
