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Karen Yates is the Chest Pain Coordinator and EMS Liaison for the Methodist Mansfield Medical Center in Mansfield, TX. She has nominated nurse Tai Tran for the American Heart Association (AHA) Heartsaver Hero Award for his quick actions to save a life this past December. The CPR & First Aid Blog sat down with Karen to learn more about her story:

Question: Karen, tell us what happened.

Answer: It was December 27, 2018, and the patient in question, Don, was at a local Lifetime Fitness gym here in Mansfield. Don had finished with his workout and had just entered the locker room when he fell in cardiac arrest. 

Fortunately for him, a nurse from Methodist Mansfield Medical Center, Mr. Tai Tran, had walked in right behind him, saw him collapse and began CPR immediately. While Tran performed CPR, other patrons called for gym employees and dialed 9-1-1. Thankfully, the employees at the gym were well-trained and quickly responded with an AED, which they used to defibrillate Don twice. The immediate and effective care Don received from Tran and the Lifetime employees worked, and he was awake and talking by the time EMS brought him into the hospital.

Q: Now what role did you play?

A: Through an app on my phone, I stay connected to the local fire department’s dispatch while I’m on duty. When the call for Don came in, I was able to alert our emergency room that a cardiac arrest was arriving soon so that they could prepare for an imminent reception. We were ready and waiting when the patient arrived.

I went outside to greet the ambulance, and I recall asking Don, “How do you feel?” “A little tired,” was his response. Well, that’s to be expected! 

Q: What’s his outcome now?

A: Thankfully, I can report that Don has been discharged and is at home recovering with his family. I’ll add that Don and his family clearly understood that this story could have had a very different outcome had the right people not been around. The impact of that isn’t lost on anyone, and the gratitude everyone shares for this happy ending has been deeply felt by all of us.

I nominated Tai Tran for the AHA’s Heartsaver Hero Award because he is an ideal example of how quality CPR training and quick action can save a life no matter where you are.

Q: What is your affiliation with the American Heart Association? And why AHA?

A: Our hospital recognizes the AHA’s training, such as BLS and ACLS. It is required continuing education. I’m actually an instructor and have had a long-time relationship with the Association. I also participate in Mission: Lifeline in North Texas as well as participating in the AHA’s Speaker’s Bureau.

From a personal perspective, I feel that the AHA’s mission is clear and its curriculum comprehensive. In terms of cardiac care, the AHA sets the gold standard. It’s as simple as that.

This blog was noted by interviews from Jenna Coleman and her mother, Kathy Golden, a victim and rescuer of cardiac arrest.

“The only thought running through my head was to keep Jenna alive until help arrived,” recounted Jenna’s mother, Kathy Golden. “I recalled the training I had in CPR and quickly went through the steps I was taught. I was not going to let my child die.”

Cardiac arrests occur when the heart suddenly stops beating. Each year, over 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital and about 90 percent of victims don’t survive. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association. The two steps to Hands-Only CPR are to call 9-1-1 (or send someone to do that) and push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

“I woke up to my mom screaming at me,” says Jenna as she looks back on the day she went into cardiac arrest.

On January 1, 1999, Jenna Coleman woke up with the stomach flu. Her body had been used to the flu-like symptoms, as she has had a pacemaker since she was 9 years old and would typically deal with illness around the same time of year. Nothing seemed unordinary, until she lost consciousness.

When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby. As of April 2019, only about 46% percent of bystanders perform CPR. Most out of hospital cardiac arrests occur in the home – about 70%. Nearly 45 percent of out of hospital cardiac arrest victims survived when bystander CPR was administered.

“As a mother, losing your child is the worst possible thing that could happen. I realized that knowing CPR and knowing what to do saved my child’s life,” said Kathy. “Trust your instincts and training. CPR works and you can save a life.”

Since the incident, Jenna and her mom have made it a point to advocate for a healthy living style. They both are actively involved in volunteering at their local American Heart Association office, participating and raising funds for events like Kids Healthy Heart Challenge and Heart Walk, and they are consistently learning and teaching the benefits of Hands-Only CPR. The importance of being healthy, maintaining exercise and being CPR trained has became second nature for the whole family.

“People can improve their health by just making one small change. Those small changes can add up over time and make a huge impact on your overall health. Instead of drastically changing your diet, try switching to whole grains and reducing your sodium intake. Switch from soda or diet-soda to water or sparkling water,” suggests Jenna. “Small changes can make a huge impact to keep you heart healthy for good!”

 

 

Awakened from a deep sleep by a frantic father, EMT’s strength of mind and skill prevails

When Brent Cinberg was awakened by screaming and a loud knock at his door at 4:45 p.m. on  Sept. 8, 2017, he had no idea what to expect. An EMT for the EMS Division of the Elizabeth Fire Department in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Brent worked nights and usually slept from 9 a.m. until 4 or 5 in the afternoon.

When a pajama-clad Brent opened his door in a sleep-filled haze, he was stunned to see his neighbor holding his 3-month old daughter, who was cyanotic and essentially lifeless. Several other neighbors flanked the terrified father, who handed his daughter to Brent, begging him to save her.

The Elizabeth EMS team doesn’t perform pediatric CPR on a daily basis, and Brent himself hadn’t worked on a child in over a month. He also lacked the usual resources. “I had nothing,” he said. “No backpack and no partner. So I immediately went through the textbook steps in my mind and told my neighbors to call the cavalry.”

An engine arrived first, allowing Brent to put the baby on oxygen while continuing CPR. In less than three minutes, his coworkers arrived via ambulance. Brent placed the baby on a stretcher while describing to paramedics what had transpired. Still critical, the baby was transported to a nearby hospital. Once stabilized, she was transferred to a specialized children’s hospital for further treatment. Today, thanks to Brent’s intervention, the child is healthy with no long-term cognitive deficits.

How was Brent, who was awoken from a deep sleep, able to remain calm enough to treat the child while surrounded by frantic neighbors? First, a sense of calmness was instilled in him from an early age. His father is an ear, nose and throat surgeon, and his mother, a teacher, is also a volunteer firefighter. Brent was also a lifeguard as a teenager. “Because of all of that, I think I have a better sense of being calm in tense situations than the average Joe,” he said.

Ultimately, Brent said, it came down to confidence in his training. “I’ve done so many calls and have seen for myself that CPR works,” he said. “So when I was in a situation that wasn’t run-of-the-mill like this one, I was prepared because I believed in my training.”

Brent encourages everyone to have at least a basic knowledge of CPR. “The more people who can perform CPR, the better it is for society as a whole,” he said. “It’s one of those things in life that you don’t necessarily think you need until you do — but then you’re so happy that you took the time to learn something that can be so powerful.”

 

 

 

 

Nurse uses CPR to save a teen who experienced sudden cardiac arrest at a track meet

Click here to watch the full story

Angie Knannlein-Rahman was a high school senior when a soul-crushing event changed the course of her life. She and her friend Adrienne were jogging during volleyball practice when Adrienne commented that she felt a sudden head rush, hitting her head as she dropped to the ground. Angie yelled for help, holding Adrienne as she gasped for air.

“I thought that hitting her head was her biggest problem,” said Angie. “It never crossed my mind that her heart had stopped.” Their coach performed CPR, but Adrienne ultimately passed away, three days after her 16th birthday. “Adrienne sustained a brain injury because we didn’t help her fast enough, and I carry that with me,” said Angie. “We lost precious moments that day.”

When Angie returned home from school the day of Adrienne’s cardiac arrest, she relayed to her mom the feeling of helplessness she felt while holding Adrienne in her arms. “My mom told me that maybe I was meant to be someone in action who could help, like a nurse,” said Angie.

She took those words to heart, and today, Angie is a registered nurse at Mercy Health ‒ St. Charles Hospital in Oregon, Ohio. And when her life-saving CPR skills were needed at a recent track and field event where she’s also a coach, Angie didn’t hesitate to act.

Adam, a 17-year-old athlete, experienced sudden cardiac arrest during the event. He was turning blue as Angie, along with another nurse and a physician assistant, began chest compressions while waiting for the automated external defibrillator (AED) to arrive, which took seven to 10 minutes because trainers were unsure of its location.

With the use of the AED, Adam began to regain consciousness and fully came around in the ambulance. Many event attendees were surprised that an AED was on-site. “We need to improve the culture of understanding the important role that AEDs play,” said Angie.

Angie’s journey as a nurse and being able to help save patients like Adam has brought her full circle from Adrienne’s passing. It’s something she thinks about often, particularly when she renews her ACLS and BLS training through the American Heart Association. “You are beating someone’s heart for them, and that’s such a tremendous responsibility,” said Angie. “If you’re going to do it, you have to do it correctly. This situation — to get to see Adam have a life, be healthy and flourish from that — is a reward that I can’t even explain.”

Are you a nurse? Send us your save stories to monica.sales@heart.org

American Heart Association instructor Tamara McLaughlin owns and operates her own training business in Vermont. The CPR & First Aid Blog sat down with her to chat about how she does it.

Q: Tamara, what is your background?

A: I began my career training medical assistants across Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont 24 years ago. One day, my boss informed me that I would start training physicians in CPR, which at that time I knew nothing about! It was intimidating, but I went through the classes and became an instructor with the American Red Cross.

After a couple of years, I decided to teach American Heart Association coursework instead because I felt it gave a better understanding of high-quality CPR. Once I switched, the feedback I received from my students was overwhelmingly positive. That’s when I knew that I was on to something and decided to go into business for myself.

Q: Would you tell us about your business journey?

A: My company is called VT SafeyNet Inc., and I teach the Association’s BLS and all Heartsaver courses, including Heartsaver First Aid, CPR AED and Bloodborne Pathogens. I began simply: I designed and printed my business cards and mailed them to local doctor and dentist offices that had smaller staffs, which meant they were likely to not have internal training. This was a side job for more than 10 years, but eventually through networking at trade shows and client referrals I began to be hired by larger firms with regular needs. That’s when I switched to doing this full-time.

I’ve been working for myself full-time for nine years now; I train about 2,500 students a year. It works best for me because that it allows me to set my own hours and, as such, I’m able to strike that work-life balance. I feel like I’m leading my best life.

Q: What do you believe is the secret of your success, so to speak?

A: I emphasize being enthusiastic, engaging, and utilizing humor to make the material less intimidating. I train people from all walks of life—from construction workers to hospital Chief Medical Officers. The most important thing is to customize my delivery of the material to serve how each person learns.

Q: Finally, tell us why the American Heart Association is your choice?

A: The Association teaches the science behind its material. When students ask me questions in class, I want to be able to fully answer them as opposed to providing routine talking points. The Association provides you everything you need to know. For my business, this put me miles ahead.

Thank you, Tamara, for speaking with us and for being such a dedicated American Heart Association advocate!

Coffee, Croissants, and CPR
Quick action from bystanders saves a life in Pennsylvania

For Stacey Sassaman and Lloyd Emelle, it was a day like any other. They were visiting Stacey’s brother in Westchester, PA and decided to spend a quiet afternoon at the neighborhood coffee shop. The two took up seats next to an elderly man who seemed to be sitting and quietly daydreaming to himself. After a while the man, Joe, fell asleep in his armchair. Stacey, a medical student, noticed his sleep seemed erratic and his breathing uneven, so she and Lloyd opted to keep an eye on him.

Almost an hour later, Joe’s breathing appeared to be getting heavier and he was struggling. “At this time we were increasingly concerned about his symptoms,” explains Lloyd, a former lifeguard. “Stacey went to alert the baristas that he might need help, and I began to mentally prepare myself for the possibility that I may need to perform CPR. That’s when I saw him stop breathing.”

Lloyd and Stacey immediately jumped into action. Lloyd cleared the surrounding furniture as Stacey checked for a pulse. Right as she found it, it disappeared. They moved Joe to the floor, and Stacey began to perform Hands-Only CPR. The barista Stacey had spoken to called 9-1-1.

Stacey and Lloyd performed Hands-Only CPR for almost 4 minutes until the paramedics arrived and took over. Once his pulse was restored, Joe was transported to a local hospital where he recovered.

“Speaking of the experience now seems surreal,” shares Lloyd. “I’m an Eagle Scout. It’s my mindset to be ready for anything, though I never expected something like this. I learned CPR growing up in Houston. My mom enrolled me in a city program for disadvantaged kids where I learned how to swim and eventually trained to be a lifeguard.”

“Not everyone needs to be an EMT, doctor, etc.,” added Stacey, who is studying to be an OBGYN. “But everyone should know the basics. One of the most alarming parts of this experience was, when Joe stopped breathing, everyone else in the cafe froze. I asked the barista if they had an AED, but he didn’t know how to respond. If Lloyd and I hadn’t been there, it’s likely no one would have been able to help.”

This is why Stacey, who is trained in BLS and ACLS, so strongly recommends the American Heart Association training—not just for medical professionals but for everyone.

“My training through the Association was great,” concludes Stacey. “What made it so effective is that it wasn’t just a lecture, but rather a hands-on experience. You don’t want to have to stop and think when seconds really count. I have no doubt that my training was critical to saving that man’s life.”

March is Heartsaver Month in the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, and with cardiac arrest claiming more lives than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, auto accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined worldwide, it’s crucial to learn CPR in the event that you find yourself in a lifesaving situation.

Cardiac arrest can occur to anyone at any time – often occurring outside of a hospital, like at home, at work or at play – and the victim may be someone you know or love. Every minute CPR is delayed, a victim’s chance of survival decreases by 10 percent. Immediate CPR from someone nearby can double or even triple that victim’s chance of survival.

Learn the simple steps of Hands-Only CPR to become a lifesaver in the event of a cardiac emergency. Hands-Only CPR is CPR without mouth-to-mouth breaths and is recommended for use by people who see a teen or adult suddenly collapse in an “out-of-hospital” setting. It consists of two easy steps: 1) call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number (or send someone to do that); 2) push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

In addition, global training and awareness programs increase the likelihood of a lay responder being on-hand to provide CPR and treatment using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Programs like Connected Pulse use technology to better connect victims and rescuers – both professional and lay responders. This unique end-to-end solution combines education programs to increase awareness of CPR, the use of publicly-available AEDs, and new technologies to strengthen the ‘chain of survival’ from the moment an incident occurs to the patient leaving the hospital.

Connected Pulse emphasizes four critical steps of the chain of survival: 1) alerting emergency medical services; 2) giving CPR to the patient; 3) delivering treatment using an AED; and 4) advanced critical life support, provided by the emergency medical services.

Celebrate Heartsaver Month by finding a CPR training solution that works for you and learn how to save a life.

For more information on CPR, visit international.heart.org. All tools and materials to help plan activities and spread the message can be accessed online in English and Arabic.

 

Susan Brooks is a fitness instructor and elementary and middle school archery and track coach in Shawnee, OK. She has been AHA trained in CPR for 30 years. Susan agreed to be interviewed by the AHA CPR & First Aid Blog to share her own holiday miracle with us this season.

Susan, tell us your story.

It was Thanksgiving Day 2013. My husband, Stephen, our daughter and I were walking out the door when Stephen suddenly told me he didn’t like what I was wearing… which was bizarre. He’d never criticized my clothes before! But, OK, I went to change and was looking for a new outfit when I heard my daughter scream from the living room.

I raced in and found Stephen lying on his side across the hearth. He was having a seizure, and his body was locked-up. I was able to move him to the floor while our daughter called 9-1-1.  Once the seizure ended, I checked his vitals and couldn’t find a pulse; I started to perform Hands-Only CPR.

I performed it for what felt like a long time. I was becoming tired, but kept on as I was trained because my husband’s life depended on it. Eventually, Stephen began to move just as the paramedics entered the house. I stopped compressions, searched for a pulse, and felt a weak one as he began to resume consciousness.

Do you know what caused his heart to stop?

They discovered a brain tumor in the ER. The tumor had caused him to seize, and the seizure is what prompted the heart attack. He was taken for emergency surgery to remove the tumor, which was a success.

And after the surgery?

After he woke up, he claims that his chest was the only thing hurting. “Why does my chest hurt?” He actually asked that! “Because I saved your life!” was my reply….

Stephen spent 10 days in the hospital, and incredibly has not suffered any long-term damage. He’s doing great.

What went through your head at the time this happened?

“I can’t believe I’m doing this in my home on my husband on Thanksgiving.” It was surreal, and honestly very traumatic for our whole family. After the fact, I was able to appreciate in a completely new way all of those years of training that brought me to that exact moment.

What has been the impact on your family?

We’re very appreciative that we still have Stephen with us. My daughter now wants to go to medical school. As for me, working in my job I’ve always expected this kind of situation to happen when we were exercising—not on a holiday just walking out the door.

I cannot say enough how grateful I am for the AHA and its training. Their work developing better processes and procedures and promoting CPR education has saved countless lives, including Stephen’s.

What message would you give others this holiday?

You don’t know what you’re going to encounter in life or when, but CPR gives you the tools you need to save someone when that moment comes. What if I hadn’t known what to do in that moment and Stephen had died?

“This is what CPR means to me. That’s the impact. My husband is the one that I was meant to save.”

 

It was October of 2007 when Christopher Goenner collapsed in front of his colleagues. Chris was only 32 and in seeming perfect health. But Chris’s heart had gone into ventricular tachycardia (VTAC)—an irregular rhythm that prevents the heart from pumping blood to the body.

With Chris unresponsive, his colleagues – fellow paramedics – took immediate action beginning with CPR. Chris’s fatal heart rhythm was quickly identified via cardiac monitor. A manual defibrillator was deployed to shock his heart back into a normal rhythm. Fortunately, only one shock was needed. Chris was quickly stabilized and transported to the hospital.

“When I woke, there were voices around me that hadn’t been there last I remembered. I couldn’t see for a bit as my vision was blurry. That’s how I knew something was wrong,” Chris shared with the CPR & First Aid Blog.

At the hospital, Chris received an internal defibrillator and a pacemaker. Incredibly, because CPR and a defibrillator were deployed within moments of his VTAC, there was no fear of brain damage. Chris was able to leave the hospital after only two nights.

“The important thing to remember in my story is – even though my colleagues are paramedics – the actions they took for me that day are all the same things that a bystander could do,” he said. “These are the same things that I would teach my students in an AHA Heartsaver class.”

Today, Chris is serving as a program director at Central Piedmont Community College, in Charlotte, NC. He teaches the American Heart Association’s BLS, ACLS, Heartsaver, Friends & Family CPR and other AHA programs. Even better, his experience helps him connect with his students. He uses his personal story on the first day of each class to help drive home the importance of CPR and other lifesaving skills.

“The stuff I teach in my classes would have saved my life, no matter who had performed them,” he concluded. “The value of the public learning CPR is everything. I could have been anywhere… in my neighborhood or in the park. I could have collapsed any place, and bystander knowledge is the only thing that would make a difference.

This is why I teach with the American Heart Association. EMTs and Paramedics are able to provide advanced care, but we wouldn’t have the opportunity to perform that care without bystanders on the scene having the training and taking action with CPR to circulate the blood and oxygen in a victim’s body. My story may be unique because I’m both a lifesaver and a survivor, but I’m no different than anyone else who is still here because of the quick actions of those who just happened to be around when I needed them.”

Demetria Cameron is a project coordinator with the American Heart Association’s ECC Global Marketing team. She is based in Dallas, TX.

The evening of Friday, August 31^st, 2018 is one that I will never forget. I had taken my son to our local barbershop for a haircut. Considering we usually go on Saturdays, I believe this little change in our routine was divine placement. Because just minutes after taking a seat in the waiting area, the stranger sitting next to me had a seizure. I’d later learn her name is Jenetria.

As Jenetria’s body began to seize, the barbers rushed over and gently placed her on her side to help her breathe, cradling her head so it wouldn’t hit the floor. When the seizure stopped, I stood by carefully watching her for a response. Jenetria began gasping, however, others thought she was safe, that she was breathing. Thankfully, because of my Heartsaver training as an Association employee, I could tell the difference.

“She’s not breathing, she’s gasping!” I yelled. Suddenly, she stopped gasping and become unresponsive. I instructed for her to be laid on her back and for everyone to clear some space. One of the barbers was already on the phone with 9-1-1 and updating the situation to the dispatcher in real time. I lifted Jenetria’s shirt and immediately began Hands Only CPR compressions. I continued compressions until the paramedics arrived and took over. Once stabilized, Jenetria was rushed to the hospital.

At the hospital, the doctors discovered that Jenetria was seven months pregnant and required an emergency c-section to save the baby! Baby Josiah was born that night, two months premature and also needing an emergency procedure due to two holes found in his heart. Incredibly, now six weeks later both mom and baby are strong, healthy and doing just fine. The doctors and nurses are calling it a miracle, and I agree!

Because of their quick actions, the barbers of the Omega Cut Barbershop, Anthony O’Neal and Albert Edmondson, received Heartsaver Hero awards. They not only helped to save one life but two—and so did I!

As a member of the American Heart Association team, I’ve always understood the value of CPR. Everyone on our team receives training, even though you honestly never believe that you will have to use it. But when that moment suddenly presents itself, the value of knowing CPR becomes priceless. To be able to know what to do, and be prepared makes me appreciate the importance of CPR in a whole new way.

I’m so grateful that I work with the Association because the quality is like no other. AHA CPR training courses give you clear details and exact information so that you know exactly what to do and when. Everyone desires high-quality things; clothes, food, etc. CPR should be the same way.