I Am a Cardiac Arrest Survivor
On Veterans Day 2020, I was running in my neighborhood with my 12-year old son, Luke, when I went into sudden cardiac arrest. As soon as I collapsed, Luke ran to my neighbor’s house, yelling for help. Although that neighbor wasn’t home, thanks to God’s perfect timing, another neighbor was outside her house, and she heard Luke shouting and saw me laying on the ground. She called 9-1-1 and rushed to my aid, delivering CPR chest compressions until sheriff’s deputies arrived. Between continued CPR from the deputies and multiple shocks from an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), they kept me alive until an ambulance arrived and continued CPR using a LUCAS machine. I eventually recovered a pulse and was taken to Huntsville Hospital for treatment.
I have since recovered physically and mentally, and except for an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), I don’t feel any different than I did before my cardiac arrest. I firmly believe that God saved my life through the quick thinking of my son and the immediate CPR provided by my neighbor and sheriff’s deputies. Of the ~350,000 people in the US who suffer Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest every year, only ~10% survive; and of those who survive, nearly 25% suffer some form of cognitive impairment. Early recognition and immediate initiation of CPR are critical to both survival and the likelihood of cognitive recovery.
Having experienced the life-saving benefits of CPR, I want to make sure that people are aware of and take advantage of CPR and AED training opportunities provided by the American Heart Association. You never know when God will use you to save the life of a loved one, co-worker, or stranger.
