The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is dedicated to bringing you the latest news and developments in sudden cardiac arrest prevention and treatment.
Driveway Desperation
Rick Mylin, Warsaw, IN – 45 at time of event (2008) A big box hardware store was nearly the end of Rick. It was a Saturday afternoon, and while RIck doesn’t remember anything about it, his wife said she’d called him to ask if he was OK. He’d indicated earlier that he wasn’t feeling well. Jo Lynn noticed Rick sounded odd. “She asked all the… Read More
Pulled Out The Whistle
Drew White, Michigan City, IN – 29 at time of event (2007) I was asked by a friend in the summer of 2007 if I might be interested in officiating YMCA basketball games over the winter. Not having officiated a basketball game since I was in college over seven years ago, I thought about it and thought it might be fun to pull out the whistle and have… Read More
Shallow Water Blackout
Erick Itoman, Pittsburgh, PA – 33 at time of event (2006) On May 13, 2006, I suffered what is known as “shallow water blackout.” At the time of the accident, I was in the middle of an Internal Medicine Resident at the University of Hawaii. There were three of us that day. Greg Sakamoto an Internal Medicine Prelim Resident (who is now doing… Read More
A Determined Chef Who Can't Stay Down
Doug Chrisman, 18, Hyde Park, NY – 18 at time of event (2008) Monday morning, 7:30am, Doug was busy skimming the stock in preparation for that day’s class. The stock didn’t make it. Doug did. His classmates at the CIA (The Culinary Institute of America that is) saw the freshman from Missouri collapse, and one of them ran to get… Read More
This Randonnée Is Not Finished
Todd Black, Seattle, WA – 56 at time of event (2008) Todd is an avid Randonneur, that is he likes to get on his bicycle and leave town for an extended trip. This is called a Randonnée, which is a French word that means excursion or long journey. Randonneurs do not compete exactly, they think of it as more a test of endurance, self-sufficiency and… Read More
This Sailor Didn't Die, And Now Saves Lives
Paul Rittenhouse, Northport, NY – 45 at time of event (2005) One warm Friday summer afternoon, Paul was on his way to get a new gadget for his sailboat. He’d just revitalized a 22 foot Ensign sailboat and needed a tension gauge to check the mainstays. He didn’t make it. Instead he crashed the car. It wasn’t exactly his fault, he was clinically… Read More
The Freshest Breath Of All
Tara Heinle, Rapid City, SD – 34 at time of event (2008) Tara and her husband, Todd, were taking a little time out after their summer vacation, and prior to the in-laws arriving for a visit. Luckily, they were at home that Wednesday morning. Tara had just brushed her teeth, and was preparing for the morning shower. There was a noise, and… Read More
Sudden Cardiac Arrest Patients Get 'Big Chill' Treatment
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It took five mighty shocks to get Cynthia Crawford's heart to start beating again after she collapsed at Ochsner Clinic a few weeks ago. A dramatic rescue, to be sure, yet it was routine care she could have had at any hospital. What came next, though, was not. As she lay unconscious, barely clinging to life, doctors placed her… Read More
Gasping Cardiac Patients Need CPR
Don't Hold Off Chest Compressions if Cardiac Patient Is Gasping People in cardiac arrest need CPR -- even if they're gasping for air. Bystanders, and even some doctors, sometimes hold off giving CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) if a collapsed cardiac patient is still struggling to breathe. That could be a big mistake. Cardiac arrest patients… Read More