If it weren’t for Ailene's quick and decisive actions, I would not be here today
I am sure you will receive many nominations for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation’s People Saving People™ Award, all more than worthy of the honor. When I read the criteria for submissions, I knew I just had to nominate my hero, Ailene Connor-Albarron, as she is truly an “ordinary” person with an extraordinary spirit who helped save my life. On Friday, June 25, 2021, at age 43, I went into… Read More
Life is precious and I am grateful to be here
It was the evening of Friday June 12, 2020. My son Joshua and I had just started playing tennis at the Stratford Tennis Club. We had only rallied a few times when I dropped on the court. I am told that Joshua rushed to my side and yelled for help. Corry and Juliet who were playing tennis on the court next to us rushed to my aid and started to apply CPR. The tennis staff at the club house called… Read MoreAgonal breathing alerted my wife
My wife awoke at 5:45 am to my agonal breathing. Turning on the light, she saw I was not breathing effectively and had turned purple. She called the Marriott front desk and told them to call 911--her husband was dying. She started CPR and then thought to go open the security latch on the condo door. Coming back to the bedroom, she saw her cell phone and called 911 herself. THIS started the… Read More
Fishing trip buddies save the life of their friend--thanks in part to a company's decision to invest in AEDs 10 years earlier
On Wednesday August 25, 2021, a group of friends were headed out to enjoy the afternoon on Flathead Lake in the Northwest Region of Montana. As they cruised away from the shoreline, one of the passengers stated he wasn’t feeling well and collapsed. The driver wheeled the boat around to head back to shore. The group frantically lifted their friend out of the vessel onto an adjacent concrete… Read More
We have a pulse!
It was a mundane morning for me and my wife Lynn. We went grocery shopping, stopped at the bank, and picked up something from the hardware store. We then returned home. All was well until Lynn’s heart happened to stop and I found her laying on the floor by the dining room table. I’ll never forget it. On July 31, 2020 at 10:14am I called 911 and began administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation… Read MoreShe was only 4, but she helped save my life
I was getting my four-year-old daughter, Athena, ready for preschool, when she heard me collapse in the bathroom. Her dad had already left for work. She called 911 and stayed on the line until EMS arrived and unlocked the front door to let them in. I absolutely would not have survived if she hadn't called 911. Nominated by Yvonne SpearEvery night before bed, I thank my wife
February 1, 2013 was the day that changed our lives forever. After we had gone to bed that night, my wife felt my back and realized that my heart had stopped. She performed CPR until the EMTs arrived. They used the AED twice in the bedroom, twice in the ambulance and a couple more times in the hospital ICU. I spent the next two weeks in a coma. My wife was by my side everyday. After waking up, I… Read MoreBeyond saving me, she saved our family
It was a Saturday morning like any other. We were home and getting ready for the day. The kids were all upstairs playing, and my wife and I were in the bathroom having an animated discussion, something about finances. At the height of our debate, I told her (but I do not remember this) that I was going to pass out. I was in cardiac arrest, not breathing and without a pulse. Apparently, I wasn’t… Read MoreThe first hero enables others to become heroes, too
My wife's parents are 67-years-old and have lived with us the 10 years of our marriage together. I call them Mama and Baba. Daily, they help us to raise our two children, to cook, to clean, to do laundry, and Baba has been renovating our home in Ann Arbor. Last summer, our project was to add a deck and landscaping on the back side of the house. They are both incredibly energetic and hard working… Read More