A Shock in Time Makes All the Difference
Barbara Tibbitts with her great grandchildren No pun intended, but when Barbara Tibbitts suffered sudden cardiac arrest and had to be revived by fire department personnel with an automated external defibrillator (AED) on November 11, 1999, it came as quite a shock. "Even at 69, I was in fantastic physical shape," Barbara said, noting that she was regularly tap dancing and taking jazzercize… Read More
Rob Elliot: Aspiring Trendsetter
On May 27, 2003, Rob Elliot became a trendsetter, but it just may be that others will no longer be able to follow that trend. While “leaning against the couch, listening to the stereo,” Rob suddenly fell to the floor of his living room, a victim of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). When his wife, who was with him at the time, got no response after looking down and chiding "Don't joke about this," she… Read More
School's Foresight Saves Referee
Sam Sangetta never realized that he had a flair for the dramatic, but when he suffered Sudden Cardiac Arrest on January 31, 2003, he did so before a near sellout crowd. While fans waited for the start of the second half of a high school basketball game, referee Sam came out onto the floor and was waiting for the teams to emerge from their locker rooms when, according to several eyewitness… Read More
Pit Bull To The Rescue
When Connie Snell and her husband Jay adopted a stray pit bull puppy, Connie had a feeling that the newfound friendship was meant to be. "I always said that this dog is here for a reason," Connie remembered recently, "I said ‘some day, she is going to save our lives.’" That day came on December 27, 2002, a lazy Sunday morning for the couple and the pet they had dubbed "Shuggy" who—along with… Read More
A Letter from SCA Survivor, Mari Ann Wearda of Sheffield Iowa
Hi to all, This morning I was driving to work when I suddenly realized that I was at the stoplight where four years ago today I narrowly escaped death. I was the victim of an SCA, and if not for the grace of God and an AED, I would not be here today. I try not to preach (really!), but each and every one of you that I am sending this to I hold dear in my heart. I know it doesn't always happen to… Read More
Jim Baum: Because He Cared About His Neighbors, He Survived Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Jim Baum is a good neighbor. After seeing AEDs mounted in the Chicago O’Hare Airport, he spoke to a physician friend about them. Jim decided that he should have a device in each of his three homes because the neighbors in each location were elderly. The defibrillators Jim ordered arrived in October 2003 and sat in the corner in their boxes for a month or so. While packing to go to their… Read More