Cindy Keely is a Quality Systems Director for the American Heart Association and is a certified CPR instructor. She shares this incredible story for CPR Awareness Week.
It started off as a normal Monday back to the office day the first week of June a few years ago, but it turned out to be something much more.
Staff were slowly coming into the American Heart Association’s Charleston, West Virginia office, with a few guests utilizing our large conference room for an external meeting of American Heart Association Certified Training Center regional liaisons.
Around 8:30am a person from the external meeting came to the office Admin Assistant – asking in a calm voice “Can you please call 911, and do you have an AED?”
The admin, Jessica, said “YES” to both and immediately called 911 and pointed to the AED on the wall in the foyer next to the conference room. She then came to me and stated she needed my help ASAP in the conference room.
Upon arrival to the conference room, I witnessed a woman being picked up from a conference chair and placed on her back on the floor. I immediately assessed for a pulse and found none and began high quality chest compressions. There were three other individuals helping – one was at the person’s head, one was maintaining her airway and holding her head, and the other person was setting up the AED for use. When the AED prompted to place the pads, I stopped briefly to assist getting those in place and then restarted high quality chest compressions. The AED prompted to analyze rhythm, I stopped compressions, and the AED indicated that a shock was advised. We ensured all were clear of the patient and administered the first shock, and then I promptly restarted chest compressions. Within a minute the patient began to moan. I stopped compressions, and we checked her pulse – it was strong and she was breathing normally!
At about this same time, the Charleston Fire Education Training Coordinator arrived, stating staff were on their way but that there was a delay due to a large structure fire in the city with all hands on deck. A minute or so later, Kanawha County EMS Paramedics arrived with their equipment, began to assess the patient and switched the patient onto their equipment (AED). She was placed on their stretcher and wheeled to their truck.
The Training Coordinator and EMS transported the patient to the nearest STEMI/Heart Center Hospital for care.
An hour or so later, the Training Coordinator returned, stating that the patient totally regained consciousness and was speaking clearly while in the Emergency Department. She asked that he return to the office to tell the staff that she was “okay, and that the staff should continue their meeting”.
What could have been a tragic day ended up being one of the luckiest days of her life – truly being at “the right place at the right time”. There were four individuals, all well-trained in CPR, who quickly recognized her condition and did what we were trained to do – calling 911, providing high quality chest compressions and using an AED as soon as possible.
A few days later, I visited our cardiac arrest patient in the Medical ICU at the local hospital. She told me that she was very lucky to be where she was that fateful morning. She stated she had had a heart catheterization which showed 3 vessel disease and now was scheduled for open heart surgery for a triple bypass. Her two daughters, who drove in from Lexington, Kentucky, were at her side and very thankful for the American Heart Association and the staff who saved their mom’s life.
A year after this, our patient returned for the American Heart Association Certified Training Centers’ regional meeting being held in the Charleston, WV office. It was great to see her doing so well and to get to chat about how this event changed her life.
Bottom line, if you’re not certified in CPR – sign up for a class as soon as you can. It’s CPR & AED Awareness Week – the perfect time to learn the steps on how to save a life. It could be someone you know.
