SCA Survivors
Dawn B
Dawn had her cardiac arrest on May 19th, 2006 at 
the age of 33. She was sleeping on the couch because she thought she was having muscle spasms in her back. Her husband Mike, who is an EMT, woke up to an unidentified sound and found her unresponsive. He started CPR and called 911. The Anoka County Sheriff’s department arrived within 2-4 minutes with an AED and oxygen. Dawn was shocked once with the AED. The Allina paramedics then arrived and Dawn was shocked an additional 4 times before a heart rhythm was attained. She was transported to Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, where she was shocked an additional 5 times in the ER. She went to the CATH LAB, where they removed the blockage to her heart and put her body into hypothermia. Her prognosis was not good and she was transferred to the University of Minnesota for possible placement of an LVAD. She improved overnight and was placed on the heart transplant list. She went home seven days later and then had a heart attack. Her stent re-clogged and needed to be opened again at the U of M. She has since regained her heart function and is no longer on the transplant list. She is at home and regaining her strength. She does not have an ICD and is down to taking only one cardiac med.
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Charlie B
Charlie and his wife, Sandra, went shopping on 
November 18, 2003. A short time after they got home, Sandra noticed that Charlie was sitting in his chair unresponsive. She called 911 and the Rochester police department responded. They attached an AED and delivered a single shock 4.8 minutes after the 9-1-1 call was placed. Twenty-four seconds later Charlie had a pulse. After quintuple bypass surgery, he recovered and feels great now – better than before. He jested that he was a bit upset with the officers because they ruined his favorite sweatshirt. He smiled and said he will overlook that.
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Alyn E
Al had his SCA in 1994 at the age of 40 while at home 
resting. He had been having some chest pain off and on for a month, but this time he awoke with sweating and chest pain. His son called 911. Paramedics administered two shocks to stop the ventricular fibrillation and allow his heart to restart normally. At that time the defibrillators used in mobile units had paddles. He had double bypass surgery at Mercy Hospital.
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Terry E
Terry was driving down the road on June 19, 2002, when 
he started seeing some brilliant white lights. He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew he had to pull over. The next thing he remembers is waking up in the hospital and being told he had a cardiac arrest and he was now the proud owner of a pacemaker. Terry was revived by a police officer’s AED. The first shock was delivered while he was still belted in his car, but the wires got tangled in the seat best so he had to be re-shocked on the ground. Terry feels great now and he believes that more needs to be done to develop early defibrillation programs and survivor support services.
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Pat E
Pat suffered SCA while on a Northwest Airlines flight on January 23, 2006. He was defibrillated by the flight 
attendants with an on-board AED and the flight was diverted to Minneapolis. Upon landing, he was transported to Abbott Hospitals here in Minneapolis where he subsequently received a stent to treat the heart attack which caused his SCA. He is now back home in Kansas. A side note to this save is that another Survivor, Gene J’s son, was a witness to this save, as he was on the same flight and called Gene to inform him of the event when they landed to rush Pat to Abbott!
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Ray E
Ray suffered SCA in the emergency department of 
Regions Hospital on Aug 28, 2003 as a result of a heart attack. He was successfully defibrillated. He was unconscious for 6 weeks and spent 70 days in the hospital. His heart was damaged and he had an ICD implanted 4 months after the event on 2-24-04.
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Alan F
Al is 64 years old from Rochester, MN He was just 
finishing a 20 mile run, training for Grandma’s Marathon. As he was finishing, he became light-headed and somewhat dizzy. He rested, drank some water and started walking home, which was 3-4 blocks away. He remembers leaning on the golf course fence waiting for the dizzy spell, with no pain at all, to pass. He then passed out, which as observed by off duty police officers Gretchen and John O’Neil. They started CPR and called 911. Officers Don Bray and Dave Drees responded and administered electrical shocks twice. He responded and then was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital by Gold Cross ambulance. Doctors installed a stent. Al has made a full recovery and says his memory is “as bad as ever.” He is now back to running and grateful to be enjoying life with family and friends.
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Butch G
Butch feels that he is probably one of the few people who 
have been on both ends of a defibrillator---as both as a rescuer and as a patient! Butch is a member of the Humeston First Responders, where he serves with his wife, Susie, as its Co-President. Butch’s wife, Susie, is a Registered Nurse and is employed in the Emergency Room of the Lucas County Health Center in Chariton, Iowa. In May, 2003, the Humeston First Responders, which serves the small Iowa community of 500 people, received a new AED to replace an older one they had since 1988. Susie was instrumental in obtaining the grant which purchased it. The new AED was first used on July 27, 2003, when it saved a life in Humeston. Susie and Butch, along with the other Humeston First Responders, were part of that first AED “save”---not ever imagining what was to happen less than a year later. On April 2, 2004, the fourth time it was used, Butch became the second AED “save” after being shocked 22 times.
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Jerry G
Jerry had just finished umpiring the first inning of a fast 
pitch softball game on May 6, 1999, when he suffered his cardiac arrest. An alert player called 911. A Rochester police officer arrived and administered a shock which restored a normal heart rhythm. He was taken to St. Mary’s Emergency Department in Rochester and arrived within 12 minutes. He had subsequent open heart surgery and went through cardiac rehab. He now has an ICD to protect from further events and is back to a normal life, which includes umpiring fast pitch softball.
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Jim J
Jim suffered SCA in his home on November 6, 2005. He had 
gone in for a routine physical on Sept. 28, and found out that he needed a valve replacement, which he had. After his arrest, his wife called 911 and did CPR until the paramedics arrived. The paramedics shocked him a total of five times. He doesn't have any artery blockage, just the valve problem. He was treated at United in St. Paul and now has an ICD. Jim says the Hastings police and fire department need to be commended for their prompt response and well trained personnel. The EMTs worked on him at his home for 40 minutes.
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Gene J
Gene was 63 when he suffered SCA while watering the 
sod he had just laid on 9-11-02. Seconds later, his wife looked out the window to see the garden hose jumping in the yard. When she investigated further, she found Gene and called 911. The only police car with a defibrillator in the city was just a mile away from his house when 911 was called. Gene’s heart was restarted by the police officer’s AED. A retired teacher, Gene is now a huge advocate of AEDs and is an avid spokesperson for the Minnesota SCA Survivor Network.
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Robert K
On December 5, 2005, Robert had been shoveling 
snow and scraping ice away from the gasoline pumps at a SuperAmerica location on Highway10 in St. Cloud. He was 52 years old. He had gone inside to warm up and collapsed at the food counter. The employees called 911 and two customers that were in the store immediately came over and started CPR. Two police officers, Kean Raygor and Mandi Provo, were in the neighborhood at the time of the call and arrived within five minutes. The police officers did CPR and gave two shocks with their AED. The ambulance arrived approximately five minutes later, and shocked Robert two more times on the way to the St. Cloud hospital. At the hospital, they used a device called Artic Sun, which lowered Robert’s body temperature to 92 degrees for 24 hours. This device improves the rate of survival from 5% to 20%, and this was the first time it had been used in St. Cloud. Robert survived, had an ICD implanted one week later, and was released from the hospital after another week.
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Rodney K
Rodney was 63 when he suffered SCA while square 
dancing at the county fair on July 11,1993. CPR was performed by an MD and an RN on the scene. The ambulance crew restarted his heart with a defibrillator after 6 minutes. Each July, Rodney and his family hold a “Celebration of Life” to celebrate his new birthday.
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John L
John suffered his cardiac arrest on October 8, 2000 
while in an ambulance. He has had a long history of heart issues. John was born in 1967 with a congenital heart defect called Tetrology of Falot. It is a condition where four parts of the heart are affected and the only correction is open heart surgery. At the age of 4 years old he had his first open heart surgery. He was unable to keep up with other kids as a child. In February, 1991, he had an ICD implanted. He had the ICD for about 10 years and was shocked about 50 times. Unfortunately, there was no proof that any of the shocks were warranted. In early October, 2000, he was informed by his doctor that one of the lead wires had a short in it and surgery was pending in a few days. On October 8th the lead wire cracked and started shocking him with the 750 volts required to bring a patient out of VF. He called 911 and the West Des Moines, Clive and Windsor Heights EMS and Fire crews showed up. He awoke in the Trauma Unit at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. If it wasn't for the AED and the quick response of all medical personnel, he would not be here today. After open heart surgery again in 2000, he is currently free of the ICD and free of all medications and living a happy, healthy life.
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Kelly M
On March 22, 2003, at the age of 15, Kelly was at a friend’s house when she
suffered SCA. She and two friends had just finished jumping on a trampoline and shooting baskets, and were heading into the house when Kelly collapsed. Her friends called 911 and started CPR. Within 2 minutes a police officer arrived and used an AED to shock her heart back into a normal rhythm. She was taken by ambulance to a hospital where an ICD was implanted.
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Wendell M
Wendell was on his daily walk on May 11, 2006 and 
stopped in the store for a drink and to pick up some items. He suffered SCA while in aisle 15 at the CUB Foods store in New Brighton. The manager was notified by a customer, rushed to Wendell’s side and started CPR. He had been trained in CPR six weeks prior to the event. The police arrived at the scene with an AED, shocked him once and his heart regained its normal rhythm. He was taken to Unity Hospital where he was stabilized and cooled. He was the first patient at Unity to have the Artic Sun cooling blankets used. He was transferred to Mercy later that week, and received a stent. He does not have an ICD.
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Dick R
Dick was 68 when he suffered SCA. He had been 
having episodes of chest pain and had been evaluated by his doctor. On May 19, 2006, he felt pain and was taken to United Hospital. At United, he went into cardiac arrest. He had CPR and was possibly restored to a normal heartbeat by a precordial thump – a procedure in which the chest is hit. Before the cart with the defibrillator arrived, Dick’s heart was already beating. He had an out-of-body experience during this event. He reported to his wife that some people that he didn’t know or recognize came and took him to another room to help him. When they got to the other room, they were told they weren’t ready to help him, so he should go back to his room. He returned to his original room.
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Jerry R
Jerry was saved at Meadowood on April 20, 2003. 
He was taken to Unity Hospital in Fridley. He got his ICD in May. The AED that saved Jerry was probably purchased because of another survivor, Gene Johnson. In November, 2002, Gene’s friends and family sponsored a New Brighton Walk-a-thon that raised money for five new AEDs for the City of New Brighton.
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Arlene S
Arlene was 65 years old when she had her SCA at 
home with her husband Jerry by her side. On March 17, 2006, she was sleeping when her husband woke up with the feeling that she was very clammy and may be having a diabetic reaction. She had passed out, so he called 911, which brought the Minneapolis Fire Department Rescue Squad. They performed CPR using a new device called a RESCU-POD for the first time, and shocked her with an AED. She was taken to North Memorial Hospital in Minneapolis where her heart stopped again. She was shocked again, given an ICD, and then recovered fully after staying in the hospital for one month. Arlene says that she remembers very little about the entire ordeal.
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Mary T
On May 17, 2004, Mary was running late to a Monday 
afternoon meeting at work. As she sat down, someone made a smart-alec comment. She over gripped her pen, exhaled, and her head hit the table. Although the folks at the meeting thought she was being dramatic, in actuality she had suffered SCA! What ensued was nothing but a beautifully choreographed dance! Some folks called 911, another ran and got someone to start CPR, and someone else ran downstairs and grabbed the AED. The West Des Moines Fire and Rescue Squad arrived within minutes and used their AED to shock Mary twice to re-establish her heartbeat. She was transported to Mercy medical Center in Des Moines, where the doctor evaluated her and implanted an ICD on 5-19-04. It’s a good thing they did because on 10-12-05, while alone in a hotel room in Las Vegas, Mary suffered SCA again! The ICD brought her back in 8 seconds! She is now working with the Iowa Access for All group, whish promotes the placement, education, and use of AEDs in order to increase the survival rate of SCA in Iowa. (www.aedaccessforall.org).
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Paul T
Paul was working as an election judge covering A-K on September 14, 
2004. He suffered SCA and was defibrillated by the Ham Lake Fire Department, who had received their new AED just one month earlier. He was resuscitated with one shock after 6.5 minutes. Paul had delayed his bypass surgery to do the election.
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Teresa V
At the age of 12, Teresa was playing softball. She attempted 
to steal second base and went down as she reached the base. Two nurses who had been watching their daughters play gave Teresa CPR, while the coach called 911 from his cell phone. First to arrive were the police with their AED. The paramedics followed soon after. After being shocked with the AED, Teresa was revived. She was hospitalized for two weeks and was released after being diagnosed with Long QT and given an internal defibrillator. She is now 21 years old, and just received her third ICD. She is expecting her second child in January.
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Carol W
Carol was sitting at a table in the cafeteria of Mercy 
Hospital, finishing a turkey sandwich, Oreos, and a Pepsi. She felt like she was going to faint. A coworker was talking about her new carpet and as Carol listened she felt more and more faint. She went limp in her chair, a coworker screamed her name and people at the next table came to help. They put her on the floor and checked her pulse. She had v-tach, v-fib and then her heart stopped. The others were from the catheterization lab and began CPR while waiting for the crash cart. They shocked Carol and she began to respond. She “woke up” to intense pressure on the bridge of her nose. She thought she must have done something terribly wrong. She opened her eyes to a circle of faces. Then they took her up to the ER. She had a normal angiogram. Her EP study reproduced a bad rhythm, and an ICD was implanted.
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Copyright 2006 Minnesota SCA Survivor Network. All Rights Reserved.
The Minnesota SCA Survivor Network is a program of Olmsted Outreach
