Survivor: Kim Brown
Date of Event:
Rescuer(s):Terrie Randleman-Smith
In the solemn setting of a 91-year-old father's funeral at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, an unexpected turn of events unfolded. Midway through the service, as Johnny, the husband of one of the attendees, finished a beautiful solo hymn, a terrifying silence descended upon the room. His head slumped, his eyes unfocused - a sight no one present could have foreseen.
Panic rippled through the congregation as his wife desperately called out for help. In the chaos, a beacon of hope emerged in the form of Terrie, a church usher who rushed to Johnny's aid. Without hesitation, she began CPR, her actions a stark contrast to the stunned silence that had gripped the room moments earlier.
Within minutes, EMTs arrived, and after a single shock from a defibrillator, Johnny's pulse returned. He was rushed to the nearby Mercy Health-Allen Hospital Emergency Department, where Terrie, a retired nursing director from the same hospital, visited the family, offering support and a familiar face in a sea of uncertainty.
As Johnny's condition stabilized, he was transferred to The Cleveland Clinic for further treatment. Extensive tests revealed a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), necessitating open-heart surgery and the implantation of an ICD. Despite the overwhelming experience, the family remained deeply grateful for the exceptional care Johnny received during his 18-day hospitalization.
Though the father's funeral was tragically cut short, the family is eternally grateful that they were in the right place at the right time. The convergence of events - at the church where the wife was christened, near the hospital where she was born, and in the presence of a skilled and compassionate angel named Terrie - saved Johnny's life and preserved his brain function.
Back home in Fairfax, Virginia, the family maintains a close bond with Terrie, their newfound angel and adopted family member. Three months after the SCA, Johnny is nearing the end of his cardiac rehabilitation, his stamina improving with each passing day. Soon, he hopes to return to his beloved church choir, his voice once again filling the sanctuary with music and gratitude.
This extraordinary story serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the importance of being prepared, and the unwavering power of love and faith in the face of adversity.