At the beginning of the month, we told you how students at UW-La Crosse performed CPR and an used AED to help save a life.

Today, for the first time, we heard from the person they saved, Clare Malinowski, and her family.

Plenty of hugs, smiles and tears were shed at UW-La Crosse today, but they were happy tears.

That’s because they were shed to thank the people who helped save 20-year-old Clare Malinowski’s life. Clare suffered cardiac arrest during a group exercise class about a month ago.

"I still haven’t wrapped my mind around it," Clare said. "Kinda hard thing to grasp, knowing, not remembering it and still being able to go on with my life.”

A life that she almost lost.

"Talking to people and realizing more and more how bad it was when I was going to the hospital, realizing it really is a second chance at life,” Clare said.

"Every parents nightmare to have something like this happen, especially to one that’s only 20-years-old, but God-willing everything turned out well because of the community,” said Mark Malinowski, Clare's dad.

That’s why the Malinowskis wanted to take the time to thank their heroes in person.

"Today is in my eyes a celebration of you and the actions you took to save my life," Clare said, addressing the crowd. "You are all heroes to me.”

Clare and her parents Mark and Liz presented the students, staff and medical personnel who helped Clare with a certificate and a bracelet that states, "The Beat Goes On."

"People I don’t even know and don’t remember and had no idea would do such things for me are showing all sorts of support. I can’t show thanks enough," Clare said.

Although Clare says she’d like to be more active, she’ll have to take it easy for a while.

"I can keep my heart rate down and light exercise, walking and jogging’s good," Clare said, reassuringly.

And knowing that the beat goes on makes all the difference.

Clare and her family say they can’t emphasize enough the importance of CPR and AED training.

They encourage everyone to get certified because you never know when you’re going to need to use it to help save a life.