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My Enemy Saved My Life

Wilbert Stoneham (L) had a cardiac arrest and was rescued by Officer Handy (L), a guard who he had previous trouble with.
Steve Drown/Uncuffed
Wilbert Stoneham (R) had a cardiac arrest and was rescued by Officer Handy (L), a guard who had previously given him a write-up.

Death is a normal part of life in prison, but it’s rare that someone can live to tell the tale. Wilbert Stoneham dropped to the floor one day after a cardiac arrest. He awoke to realize he was being brought back to life by a guard who was once his nemesis. How a near-death experience can change your perspective on everything, including someone you despised.

The same guy that be chasing me all the time, was the same guy doing CPR, pumping life into my body.
Wilbert Stoneham

This piece was brought to you from the team at Uncuffed. Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The producers fact-check content to the best of their ability. Content is approved by an information officer.

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To learn more, and to sign up for Uncuffed news, go towww.WeAreUncuffed.org.

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Uncuffed From The Producers Of Uncuffed
Stories from inside California prisons
Dámon “L.A.” Cookë or “The Nomad” is a true force of nature
Brian “bf” Thames has published five non-fiction books while incarcerated over the last 30 years. A pending 6th book advocating self-reliance and better decision making in potentially dangerous encounters is on the way. Learning languages is an exciting pastime for him. He’s become reasonably fluent in French, conversational in Spanish, and learned ASL during the Covid-19 pandemic. His favorite animals are Great Danes, and any variation of parrots/parakeets. Acquiring general knowledge and education about the world and existence tends to make him giddy.