Posted: Jul 20, 2011 4:42 PM
Updated: Jul 20, 2011 4:49 PM
Mike Paluska - email
ACWORTH, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
Angie Durham said her words literally saved her husband's life after he suffered a massive heart attack.
It was Memorial Day, Alan Durham said he had just finished exercising and was sitting on his front swing. All of a sudden he had a heart attack. By the time Angie called 911 and paramedics loaded Alan into the ambulance he was in full cardiac arrest.
"He didn't have a pulse for about 20 minutes," said Angie.
Paramedics rushed Alan to Kennestone Hospital where doctors continued to work on Alan, but he was unresponsive.
The Durham's are high school sweethearts. They met in 10th grade and they've been together ever since. Angie said she thought she was losing her husband, her life, her soul mate.
"I walked in and they were shocking him, they were doing CPR, everything," said Angie. "It didn't even look like him. His eyes were not the same, it did not look like my husband at all and I could tell he was gone. There was no heartbeat, he was not breathing," Angie said.
That's when Angie said he doctor did something unusual, that she believes, ended up saving her husband's life.
"He wanted me to be there so I could talk to him, and tell him goodbye," said Angie. "The doctor told me to stand by his head and I did. I yelled that I loved him, and he couldn't leave me now and I couldn't live without him."
Little did Angie know that at that moment as she was walking out of the room, Alan took a breath and his heart started beating.
"When you talk about and you think about it, I was basically dead and I came back. It is amazing," said Alan. "I am still trying to figure out the mystery of how and why. I don't know why God brought me back. But I am still here it was God's grace. There is something I have to do," said Alan.
Alan does not like all the publicity but hopes his story will spur others to go and get tested for heart disease. Prior to his near fatal heart attack, Alan said he had no signs of trouble. His father does have a history of heart disease, but Alan said he didn't think it would strike him. He is urging everyone to get checked out.
When you see a cardiac arrest, your brain fights you - "No, this isn't really happening" - and the circumstances fight you - "Dang! in CPR class the manikin didn't weigh very much and wasn't sitting in a deep chair. This blog deals with practical details and presents reports of "saves." Let me have your questions and comments - they will steer the course of this blog. This blog is brought to you by the volunteers at www.slicc.org
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Maybe this need not have happened...
Whether a person survives a cardiac arrest hinges upon the presenting cardiac rhythm and the quality of bystander CPR.
The presenting rhythm frequently depends upon the promptness of assessment .
Get trained, get involved, be the solution!
_______________________________________
A 16-year-old from Toronto has died while playing basketball in the gym at a high school in Aspen, Colorado.
Quinn Issiah Everring was participating in the Aspen Basketball Academy on Monday when he collapsed.
Police and and emergency crews were called and a bystander tried to revive him using CPR but their efforts failed.
Mark Moore, a family friend, said Tuesday the teen was excited about the camp.
"This was the first time that he actually went away," said Moore. "It was his mom's friend that invited him to come for a week, so he left on Saturday to do a full Monday to Friday basketball camp."
Everring had just finished grade 10 at Northern Secondary. He loved basketball and football and he played the saxophone.
He was also his mother's only child. The two, according to Moore, were inseparable.
"I refer to them as almost a brother and sister team, the way they moved. Wherever he was, she was," he said.
The Aspen Daily News says the official cause of death will be released by the Pitkin County Coroner's Office following the completion of an autopsy.
The presenting rhythm frequently depends upon the promptness of assessment .
Get trained, get involved, be the solution!
_______________________________________
A 16-year-old from Toronto has died while playing basketball in the gym at a high school in Aspen, Colorado.
Quinn Issiah Everring was participating in the Aspen Basketball Academy on Monday when he collapsed.
Police and and emergency crews were called and a bystander tried to revive him using CPR but their efforts failed.
Mark Moore, a family friend, said Tuesday the teen was excited about the camp.
"This was the first time that he actually went away," said Moore. "It was his mom's friend that invited him to come for a week, so he left on Saturday to do a full Monday to Friday basketball camp."
Everring had just finished grade 10 at Northern Secondary. He loved basketball and football and he played the saxophone.
He was also his mother's only child. The two, according to Moore, were inseparable.
"I refer to them as almost a brother and sister team, the way they moved. Wherever he was, she was," he said.
The Aspen Daily News says the official cause of death will be released by the Pitkin County Coroner's Office following the completion of an autopsy.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
You have to keep the heart and brain alive until the defibrillator gets there.
EMS Applaud Bystander CPR
Updated: Jul 15, 2011 11:11 PM
By Kayla Ayres - email
LEWES, Del.- Over the past week, Sussex County Emergency Medical Services personnel said they've seen an increase in calls for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. These same responders said three of these calls were successful thanks to bystanders performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, promptly.
The calls came from a fitness center, a golf course and a restaurant in Sussex County. According to the American Heart Association, EMS treats about 300,000 people suffering cardiac arrest outside of the hospital annually, with a survival rate of just eight percent.
John Morris, a professional personal trainer in Lewes, was one of the people who performed bystander CPR this week. On Wednesday, a longtime client collapsed during a simple training exercise.
Morris said the client convulsed and stopped breathing.
"At that point I realized that we needed to call 9-1-1 of course, and get the defibrillator on the gentleman and get his heart back in rhythm," Morris said.
Joe Hopple, education coordinator with Sussex County EMS, said with bystander CPR, mortality rate improves greatly.
"CPR is the only thing that will keep someone alive until help can arrive once their heart stops beating," Hopple said. "If someone collapses, early access to 9-1-1, early defibrillation with an AED, early advanced care from professional paramedics, is key to someone surviving cardiac arrest.
Updated: Jul 15, 2011 11:11 PM
By Kayla Ayres - email
LEWES, Del.- Over the past week, Sussex County Emergency Medical Services personnel said they've seen an increase in calls for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. These same responders said three of these calls were successful thanks to bystanders performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, promptly.
The calls came from a fitness center, a golf course and a restaurant in Sussex County. According to the American Heart Association, EMS treats about 300,000 people suffering cardiac arrest outside of the hospital annually, with a survival rate of just eight percent.
John Morris, a professional personal trainer in Lewes, was one of the people who performed bystander CPR this week. On Wednesday, a longtime client collapsed during a simple training exercise.
Morris said the client convulsed and stopped breathing.
"At that point I realized that we needed to call 9-1-1 of course, and get the defibrillator on the gentleman and get his heart back in rhythm," Morris said.
Joe Hopple, education coordinator with Sussex County EMS, said with bystander CPR, mortality rate improves greatly.
"CPR is the only thing that will keep someone alive until help can arrive once their heart stops beating," Hopple said. "If someone collapses, early access to 9-1-1, early defibrillation with an AED, early advanced care from professional paramedics, is key to someone surviving cardiac arrest.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Chillin' out after a cardiac arrest
From Tuesday's Wall Street Journal - Circulation's web site doen't appear to have the referenced article available.
_________
A new study could bolster growing interest in a technique to chill the bodies of sudden cardiac-arrest patients that has been shown to help keep victims alive.
Researchers found that of 140 patients who got the treatment, in which the body is quickly cooled after the heartbeat is restored, 56% survived to be discharged from the hospital—92% of them with most or all of their cognitive function intact.
Across the U.S., fewer than 10% of victims survive sudden cardiac arrest when it occurs outside the hospital and among those who do, only a minority recover sufficient brain function to return to a normal life.
The high survival rate suggests the technique, called therapeutic hypothermia, is "one of the strongest [tools] we have to improve outcomes for these patients," said Monica Kleinman, a critical-care doctor at Children's Hospital Boston, who wasn't involved with the study.
View Full Image
About 300,000 people in the U.S. suffer cardiac arrest each year as a result of either a heart attack or an electrical malfunction that throws the heart wildly out of rhythm. About 125,000 are discovered too late for help. Of those whose pulses are restored, only about 1 in 5 gets treated with therapeutic hypothermia.
"The implementation and spread of this has probably been slower than people would like, given the strong evidence that it's helpful," said Dr. Kleinman, who also heads the American Heart Association's emergency cardiovascular care committee.
It isn't the cooling technique alone that improves chances of survival. The study's results also underscore the value of an organized referral system in which critically ill patients are quickly transported from outlying areas to a sophisticated regional medical center for treatment.
The 140 patients were treated at Minneapolis Heart Institute and Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, which maintain a network for emergency heart care with more than 30 rural hospitals and about 45 emergency medical services within a 200-mile radius of the city. In the study, 107 patients were transferred from the outlying hospitals at an average distance of 56 miles. From the first EMT responder at the scene, to the ER doctor and cardiologist at the hospital, to the critical-care nurse in the ICU, all follow an established treatment protocol.
"These patients need excellent care in the field … and a network of care so they come into a hospital where everybody knows their role," said Michael Mooney, a cardiologist and head of the "Cool It" initiative at Minneapolis Heart Institute. Dr. Mooney led the new study, which was published online Monday by the AHA journal Circulation.
Therapeutic hypothermia is applied after a patient's heartbeat has been restored through cardiopulmonary resuscitation and shocking with a defibrillator. Increasingly, rescue squads are initiating cooling by placing ice packs on patients as they are being transported to the hospital. The city of New York and top medical centers in New Orleans, Tucson, Ariz., and Nashville are among places that have embraced the technique.
In the study, every hour of delay in initiating cooling was associated with a 20% increased risk of death, the researchers found.
More sophisticated cooling blankets that regulate both the temperature drop and a rewarming of the patient are used after admission.
Generally, patients are cooled to about 90 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit, or about six to eight degrees below normal temperature. They are put in a medically induced coma for 24 hours before their temperature is gradually brought back to normal. Patients may remain in a coma for a few days before being brought back to consciousness.
"It's a very robust therapy and it's simple," says Dr. Mooney. "It doesn't necessarily rely on fancy equipment. Simple measures make a huge difference."
One reason for its slow adoption, Dr. Mooney said, is that cardiologists have been skeptical that new approaches can make headway against the historically poor outcomes for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Another concern is that a new strategy may improve survival, but not quality of life.
"Our biggest worry would be that we'd bring back folks that didn't function as Mom in the family or Dad in the family," Dr. Mooney said. But, as reflected in the 92% who were revived and able to return to normal or near-normal life, "that hasn't happened."
Sarah Bartlett is a case in point. In 2006, at age 32, she collapsed in her yard while talking to a contractor about a remodeling project. The emergency squad had to apply three defibrillator shocks to restore her heart beat—about 21 minutes after she went down.
She didn't regain consciousness. At the hospital, ice was applied as she was rushed to the cardiac catheterization lab for treatment. There, a cooling blanket was applied as doctors treated her heart blockage.
Twenty-four hours later, rewarming was started, and her normal temperature was restored in about six hours. Three days later, she regained consciousness, with her cognitive function close to normal.
Ms. Bartlett, who was an intensive-care unit nurse at the time, says it took about three months before she felt fully recovered. She went on to graduate school and achieved a 3.9 grade-point average while qualifying to become a nurse practitioner. "I feel confident that I am neurologically intact," she says.
_________
A new study could bolster growing interest in a technique to chill the bodies of sudden cardiac-arrest patients that has been shown to help keep victims alive.
Researchers found that of 140 patients who got the treatment, in which the body is quickly cooled after the heartbeat is restored, 56% survived to be discharged from the hospital—92% of them with most or all of their cognitive function intact.
Across the U.S., fewer than 10% of victims survive sudden cardiac arrest when it occurs outside the hospital and among those who do, only a minority recover sufficient brain function to return to a normal life.
The high survival rate suggests the technique, called therapeutic hypothermia, is "one of the strongest [tools] we have to improve outcomes for these patients," said Monica Kleinman, a critical-care doctor at Children's Hospital Boston, who wasn't involved with the study.
View Full Image
About 300,000 people in the U.S. suffer cardiac arrest each year as a result of either a heart attack or an electrical malfunction that throws the heart wildly out of rhythm. About 125,000 are discovered too late for help. Of those whose pulses are restored, only about 1 in 5 gets treated with therapeutic hypothermia.
"The implementation and spread of this has probably been slower than people would like, given the strong evidence that it's helpful," said Dr. Kleinman, who also heads the American Heart Association's emergency cardiovascular care committee.
It isn't the cooling technique alone that improves chances of survival. The study's results also underscore the value of an organized referral system in which critically ill patients are quickly transported from outlying areas to a sophisticated regional medical center for treatment.
The 140 patients were treated at Minneapolis Heart Institute and Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, which maintain a network for emergency heart care with more than 30 rural hospitals and about 45 emergency medical services within a 200-mile radius of the city. In the study, 107 patients were transferred from the outlying hospitals at an average distance of 56 miles. From the first EMT responder at the scene, to the ER doctor and cardiologist at the hospital, to the critical-care nurse in the ICU, all follow an established treatment protocol.
"These patients need excellent care in the field … and a network of care so they come into a hospital where everybody knows their role," said Michael Mooney, a cardiologist and head of the "Cool It" initiative at Minneapolis Heart Institute. Dr. Mooney led the new study, which was published online Monday by the AHA journal Circulation.
Therapeutic hypothermia is applied after a patient's heartbeat has been restored through cardiopulmonary resuscitation and shocking with a defibrillator. Increasingly, rescue squads are initiating cooling by placing ice packs on patients as they are being transported to the hospital. The city of New York and top medical centers in New Orleans, Tucson, Ariz., and Nashville are among places that have embraced the technique.
In the study, every hour of delay in initiating cooling was associated with a 20% increased risk of death, the researchers found.
More sophisticated cooling blankets that regulate both the temperature drop and a rewarming of the patient are used after admission.
Generally, patients are cooled to about 90 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit, or about six to eight degrees below normal temperature. They are put in a medically induced coma for 24 hours before their temperature is gradually brought back to normal. Patients may remain in a coma for a few days before being brought back to consciousness.
"It's a very robust therapy and it's simple," says Dr. Mooney. "It doesn't necessarily rely on fancy equipment. Simple measures make a huge difference."
One reason for its slow adoption, Dr. Mooney said, is that cardiologists have been skeptical that new approaches can make headway against the historically poor outcomes for victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Another concern is that a new strategy may improve survival, but not quality of life.
"Our biggest worry would be that we'd bring back folks that didn't function as Mom in the family or Dad in the family," Dr. Mooney said. But, as reflected in the 92% who were revived and able to return to normal or near-normal life, "that hasn't happened."
Sarah Bartlett is a case in point. In 2006, at age 32, she collapsed in her yard while talking to a contractor about a remodeling project. The emergency squad had to apply three defibrillator shocks to restore her heart beat—about 21 minutes after she went down.
She didn't regain consciousness. At the hospital, ice was applied as she was rushed to the cardiac catheterization lab for treatment. There, a cooling blanket was applied as doctors treated her heart blockage.
Twenty-four hours later, rewarming was started, and her normal temperature was restored in about six hours. Three days later, she regained consciousness, with her cognitive function close to normal.
Ms. Bartlett, who was an intensive-care unit nurse at the time, says it took about three months before she felt fully recovered. She went on to graduate school and achieved a 3.9 grade-point average while qualifying to become a nurse practitioner. "I feel confident that I am neurologically intact," she says.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Bellingham brothers save man after near-drowning in Lake Chelan
CALEB HUTTON - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
A 27-year-old man was revived by two Bellingham brothers after he nearly drowned during a night swim in Lake Chelan Saturday, July 9.
At about 9:30 p.m., Vay Vong, of Seattle, was swimming back from a floating dock about 100 feet from the north shore of Lake Chelan when a cramp in his leg immobilized him. Unable to keep afloat, and with his swimming partner unable to help him, he sunk about 15 feet to the bottom of the lake, said Tyson Clarke, a 22-year-old University of Washington graduate from Bellingham.
Tyson and his brother, Andrew Clarke, 18, who graduated from Bellingham High School last month, were fishing from a nearby dock when they heard people screaming that their friend was drowning.
The brothers, who are the sons of former Bellingham High principal Steve Clarke, were fully clothed in khaki shorts and sweatshirts, but they kicked off their shoes and dove into the dark water.
Tyson said he couldn't see much on his first dive, and when he surfaced for air he heard people yelling that he should just wait for firefighters to arrive. But by then, he figured, it would be too late.
So he dove again, and as he scanned the bottom of the lake he thought he saw a few bubbles and a small, white light. Thinking it might be some kind of reflection, he dove as deep as he could until he felt the man's fingertips. He then grabbed Vong by the hand and pulled him to the surface, where his brother was waiting with a floating mattress to help him.
"Andrew had just learned CPR in his high school health class," Tyson said. "Apparently he was actually paying attention."
Vong had been submerged for about three minutes and was "ghost-white, with his eyes rolled back in his head" when they lifted him onto the floating dock, Tyson said. But the brothers continued to perform CPR, with help from a lifeguard, and eventually Vong started to breathe again.
Soon after medics arrived, Vong was flown to Central Washington Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition Monday. Clarke said that, from the latest he heard, Vong was beginning to recover and may soon be taken off a machine that is helping him breathe.
Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/07/11/2097832/bellingham-brothers-save-man-after.html#ixzz1RqEQcxgg
A 27-year-old man was revived by two Bellingham brothers after he nearly drowned during a night swim in Lake Chelan Saturday, July 9.
At about 9:30 p.m., Vay Vong, of Seattle, was swimming back from a floating dock about 100 feet from the north shore of Lake Chelan when a cramp in his leg immobilized him. Unable to keep afloat, and with his swimming partner unable to help him, he sunk about 15 feet to the bottom of the lake, said Tyson Clarke, a 22-year-old University of Washington graduate from Bellingham.
Tyson and his brother, Andrew Clarke, 18, who graduated from Bellingham High School last month, were fishing from a nearby dock when they heard people screaming that their friend was drowning.
The brothers, who are the sons of former Bellingham High principal Steve Clarke, were fully clothed in khaki shorts and sweatshirts, but they kicked off their shoes and dove into the dark water.
Tyson said he couldn't see much on his first dive, and when he surfaced for air he heard people yelling that he should just wait for firefighters to arrive. But by then, he figured, it would be too late.
So he dove again, and as he scanned the bottom of the lake he thought he saw a few bubbles and a small, white light. Thinking it might be some kind of reflection, he dove as deep as he could until he felt the man's fingertips. He then grabbed Vong by the hand and pulled him to the surface, where his brother was waiting with a floating mattress to help him.
"Andrew had just learned CPR in his high school health class," Tyson said. "Apparently he was actually paying attention."
Vong had been submerged for about three minutes and was "ghost-white, with his eyes rolled back in his head" when they lifted him onto the floating dock, Tyson said. But the brothers continued to perform CPR, with help from a lifeguard, and eventually Vong started to breathe again.
Soon after medics arrived, Vong was flown to Central Washington Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition Monday. Clarke said that, from the latest he heard, Vong was beginning to recover and may soon be taken off a machine that is helping him breathe.
Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/07/11/2097832/bellingham-brothers-save-man-after.html#ixzz1RqEQcxgg
Thursday, July 7, 2011
“Everything was happening so fast and so slow at the same time,” he said.
YPG employee's CPR saves coworker
July 06, 2011 11:44 PM
BY SARAH WOMER - SUN STAFF WRITER
After waking up and going about his normal daily routine, Alex Molina said it felt like any other regular day— little did he know, that would be the day he would save another person's life.
About three weeks ago, Molina, who works as a field test engineer for Syracuse Resource Corporation at Yuma Proving Ground, was going to drop off his testing equipment at a facility located 50 miles downrange before he left to go home for the day.
When he arrived at the building around mid-afternoon, he saw that his coworker appeared to be asleep in his vehicle, and given their camaraderie, Molina had the idea to scare his fellow employee as a joke.
Unfortunately, he soon discovered that his friend was not sleeping but had passed out due to heat stroke on a day where the outdoor temperatures reached well above 100 degrees.
Molina immediately ran into a nearby building to call “5111,” which is the number used to contact emergency personnel at YPG.
During the next 10 minutes that passed until the emergency crews arrived, Molina said that his prior medical training kicked in and he preformed CPR on his friend. Because his friend was slumped over in the front seat of his vehicle, he tilted the seat back as far as it would go and got in the backseat to preform CPR. Additionally, he said that his coworker's mouth was wired shut, forcing him to breathe through the patient's nose.
“He was so pale,” he said, noting that it was a scary sight to see his friend unconscious, not breathing and with no pulse to be found.
His coworker was later transferred to Yuma Regional Medical Center for further treatment where he has since recovered and returned to work.
“Everything was happening so fast and so slow at the same time,” he said.
Molina, who was born and raised in Yuma and graduated from San Pasqual Valley High School in 1994, said that he never expected to have to use any of his CPR training that he received while in the Marine Corps.
When asked about the value of the training, he said that he encourages everyone to get certified, regardless of whether or not it is required for the job that they are in.
Both his coworker and his coworker's girlfriend have both thanked him countless times for his efforts, but Molina added humbly, “I was just really fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. I think anyone in my situation would have reacted the same way.”
Since the incident, Molina remarked that he has become more observant and is encouraging the continuous hydration of his fellow coworkers.
“For his heroic actions, Molina was recognized with a certificate of recognition by the U.S. Army Product Manager for Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare,” stated a news release. “In addition, Molina was given the Yuma Proving Ground Safety Award by Col. Reed Young, YPG commander.”
Jerry Ball, assistant fire chief of operations at YPG Fire Department said that although all of their personnel are not required to by CPR certified, they hope to provide the classes for all employees. He added that they are well on their way to reaching their goal of 100 percent certification.
“Nobody is expecting a medical emergency to happen but it can happen to anyone at any time and having that training is giving that person a better chance of surviving,” Ball said.
He commented that CPR classes are civilian friendly for those who may not have had prior experience in the medical field.
July 06, 2011 11:44 PM
BY SARAH WOMER - SUN STAFF WRITER
After waking up and going about his normal daily routine, Alex Molina said it felt like any other regular day— little did he know, that would be the day he would save another person's life.
About three weeks ago, Molina, who works as a field test engineer for Syracuse Resource Corporation at Yuma Proving Ground, was going to drop off his testing equipment at a facility located 50 miles downrange before he left to go home for the day.
When he arrived at the building around mid-afternoon, he saw that his coworker appeared to be asleep in his vehicle, and given their camaraderie, Molina had the idea to scare his fellow employee as a joke.
Unfortunately, he soon discovered that his friend was not sleeping but had passed out due to heat stroke on a day where the outdoor temperatures reached well above 100 degrees.
Molina immediately ran into a nearby building to call “5111,” which is the number used to contact emergency personnel at YPG.
During the next 10 minutes that passed until the emergency crews arrived, Molina said that his prior medical training kicked in and he preformed CPR on his friend. Because his friend was slumped over in the front seat of his vehicle, he tilted the seat back as far as it would go and got in the backseat to preform CPR. Additionally, he said that his coworker's mouth was wired shut, forcing him to breathe through the patient's nose.
“He was so pale,” he said, noting that it was a scary sight to see his friend unconscious, not breathing and with no pulse to be found.
His coworker was later transferred to Yuma Regional Medical Center for further treatment where he has since recovered and returned to work.
“Everything was happening so fast and so slow at the same time,” he said.
Molina, who was born and raised in Yuma and graduated from San Pasqual Valley High School in 1994, said that he never expected to have to use any of his CPR training that he received while in the Marine Corps.
When asked about the value of the training, he said that he encourages everyone to get certified, regardless of whether or not it is required for the job that they are in.
Both his coworker and his coworker's girlfriend have both thanked him countless times for his efforts, but Molina added humbly, “I was just really fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. I think anyone in my situation would have reacted the same way.”
Since the incident, Molina remarked that he has become more observant and is encouraging the continuous hydration of his fellow coworkers.
“For his heroic actions, Molina was recognized with a certificate of recognition by the U.S. Army Product Manager for Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare,” stated a news release. “In addition, Molina was given the Yuma Proving Ground Safety Award by Col. Reed Young, YPG commander.”
Jerry Ball, assistant fire chief of operations at YPG Fire Department said that although all of their personnel are not required to by CPR certified, they hope to provide the classes for all employees. He added that they are well on their way to reaching their goal of 100 percent certification.
“Nobody is expecting a medical emergency to happen but it can happen to anyone at any time and having that training is giving that person a better chance of surviving,” Ball said.
He commented that CPR classes are civilian friendly for those who may not have had prior experience in the medical field.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Girl Who Nearly Drowned in Great Oaks Pool 'Doing Great' Today, Mom Says
Recent Rochester High grad was lifeguard who helped save Stella Dougherty's life.
By Jen Anesi | Email the author | 5:45am Print&nbps;5 Comments
For a split second, Jennifer Dougherty thought her 3-year-old daughter, Stella, was just being adventurous in the kiddie pool at Great Oaks Country Club in Rochester Hills.
Stella's head was underwater – something Dougherty said her daughter was usually too afraid to do.
Then, the Clarkston resident and mother of two realized her daughter wasn't playing. Nor was she moving.
And she was blue.
“I was just panic-stricken," said Dougherty. "I needed help.”
Help would arrive from all directions. And so began a series of events last Wednesday that would save little Stella's life.
'It was terrifying'
Today, a week after the ordeal, Stella is doing fine.
What caused Stella to end up face down in the shallow pool is not clear, though Dougherty said doctors believe Stella may have had a febrile seizure – a type of seizure that can be caused by a spike in a child's body temperature.
When she first noticed her daughter not moving and face-down in the pool, Dougherty said she pulled her out and began screaming.
The screams caught the attention of nearby lifeguard Michael Zuke.
"She had her daughter in her arms, and her daughter was just blue," said 18-year-old Zuke, a recent Rochester High School graduate. "It hit me just then that this is real."
Zuke ran over, unzipped Stella's life jacket, told another lifeguard to call 911 and immediately began CPR.
"It was terrifying," said Dougherty.
Zuke, performing one-handed chest compressions on the girl's small frame, was soon joined by fellow lifeguards Bret Miller and Ben Vavra, who took turns performing chest compressions and rescue breathing until paramedics arrived.
Within 10 minutes, or what "felt like an hour" to Zuke, the Rochester Hills Fire Department arrived on the scene. By that time, little Stella was groaning and breathing on her own, Zuke said.
“I can’t even recall everything what went on at that time now," said Dougherty, who also has a 21-month-old daughter, Violet. “All I remember is her shaking, like a seizure."
Mom thanks those who helped
Stella was transported first to Crittenton Hospital Medical Center in Rochester and then on to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. She was released that evening.
“She’s doing great right now, thank goodness," Dougherty said.
Though Stella is doing well now, her near drowning is still affecting those who were involved.
"It was gut-wrenching going there" without knowing the girl's condition, said Oakland County Sheriff's Sergeant John Jacobson on Tuesday. Jacobson responded to the call along with the Rochester Hills Fire Department.
Jacobson even followed Stella to Crittenton Hospital. "I spoke to her doctor myself and she was up, alert and talking when I left," he said.
Deputy Kevin McNally, who also responded to the call, kept tabs on Stella's recovery at Beaumont, which Dougherty said she appreciated.
And, of course, Dougherty said she is grateful for the lifeguards who were present at that moment, for the paramedics who responded and for anyone else who helped her daughter that day.
“Anyone that helped, anyone that picked up the phone, whoever called 911 – there were a few moms who came over and tried to help ... I’m just appreciative of any help we received."
Dougherty hopes that there's a lesson to be learned from her family's ordeal.
"It wasn't like she was left for 30 seconds," Dougherty said. “It couldn’t have been more than 10 seconds, and she was face-down in the pool.
"You turn your back for five seconds, 10 seconds, and that's all it takes."
By Jen Anesi | Email the author | 5:45am Print&nbps;5 Comments
For a split second, Jennifer Dougherty thought her 3-year-old daughter, Stella, was just being adventurous in the kiddie pool at Great Oaks Country Club in Rochester Hills.
Stella's head was underwater – something Dougherty said her daughter was usually too afraid to do.
Then, the Clarkston resident and mother of two realized her daughter wasn't playing. Nor was she moving.
And she was blue.
“I was just panic-stricken," said Dougherty. "I needed help.”
Help would arrive from all directions. And so began a series of events last Wednesday that would save little Stella's life.
'It was terrifying'
Today, a week after the ordeal, Stella is doing fine.
What caused Stella to end up face down in the shallow pool is not clear, though Dougherty said doctors believe Stella may have had a febrile seizure – a type of seizure that can be caused by a spike in a child's body temperature.
When she first noticed her daughter not moving and face-down in the pool, Dougherty said she pulled her out and began screaming.
The screams caught the attention of nearby lifeguard Michael Zuke.
"She had her daughter in her arms, and her daughter was just blue," said 18-year-old Zuke, a recent Rochester High School graduate. "It hit me just then that this is real."
Zuke ran over, unzipped Stella's life jacket, told another lifeguard to call 911 and immediately began CPR.
"It was terrifying," said Dougherty.
Zuke, performing one-handed chest compressions on the girl's small frame, was soon joined by fellow lifeguards Bret Miller and Ben Vavra, who took turns performing chest compressions and rescue breathing until paramedics arrived.
Within 10 minutes, or what "felt like an hour" to Zuke, the Rochester Hills Fire Department arrived on the scene. By that time, little Stella was groaning and breathing on her own, Zuke said.
“I can’t even recall everything what went on at that time now," said Dougherty, who also has a 21-month-old daughter, Violet. “All I remember is her shaking, like a seizure."
Mom thanks those who helped
Stella was transported first to Crittenton Hospital Medical Center in Rochester and then on to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. She was released that evening.
“She’s doing great right now, thank goodness," Dougherty said.
Though Stella is doing well now, her near drowning is still affecting those who were involved.
"It was gut-wrenching going there" without knowing the girl's condition, said Oakland County Sheriff's Sergeant John Jacobson on Tuesday. Jacobson responded to the call along with the Rochester Hills Fire Department.
Jacobson even followed Stella to Crittenton Hospital. "I spoke to her doctor myself and she was up, alert and talking when I left," he said.
Deputy Kevin McNally, who also responded to the call, kept tabs on Stella's recovery at Beaumont, which Dougherty said she appreciated.
And, of course, Dougherty said she is grateful for the lifeguards who were present at that moment, for the paramedics who responded and for anyone else who helped her daughter that day.
“Anyone that helped, anyone that picked up the phone, whoever called 911 – there were a few moms who came over and tried to help ... I’m just appreciative of any help we received."
Dougherty hopes that there's a lesson to be learned from her family's ordeal.
"It wasn't like she was left for 30 seconds," Dougherty said. “It couldn’t have been more than 10 seconds, and she was face-down in the pool.
"You turn your back for five seconds, 10 seconds, and that's all it takes."
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