NASHVILLE--At a recent Lady Gaga concert in Tennessee, 33-year-old Crystal Thorton suffered a seizure and her heart stopped beating. In a crowded show, EMTs were able to respond quickly, and with the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), were able to get her heart beating again after five minutes. Doctors said Friday that without the EMTs having access to an AED, Thorton would not have survived. Thorton was attending the concert at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville with her best friend Christina Tugman. According to Newschannel5, they had been waiting for this Lady Gaga concert for some time and were looking forward to it. However, during the opening act of the concert, Thorton went into convulsions and her heart stopped. EMTs were able to get her heart started again after five minutes and she was then airlifted to Vanderbilt Medical Center. Doctors began using therapeutic hypothermia to drop Thorton’s body temp to between 86 and 93 degrees. Doctors were worried about brain cell death and wanted to keep circulation slowed. She remained in this cooled state for 48 hours before then gradually warmed her to normal body temperature. While Thorton is thankful to be alive, she is upset she missed seeing Lady Gaga on stage.
