Giving back after surviving ‘widow maker’

I recently suffered a major cardiac event, referred to as a “widow maker,” and was very fortunate to survive the event. According to the American Heart Association, severe blockages of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery have only a 12 percent survival rate when they occur outside of an advanced medical facility. The secret to my success in recovering from an 80 percent blockage event was being in the next-best place on the Island outside of the hospital — on a tennis court that had an automated external defibrillator (AED). Coincidentally in the adjacent courts happened to be a pharmacist with extensive CPR experience, and a retired pulmonologist, who resuscitated me within minutes while the ambulance was en route. How lucky is that?

As a 63-year-old otherwise healthy guy, it’s now an opportunity to express my gratitude and pay this experience forward. It’s my turn to improve the chances of someone else having a similar event to get the critically important response and tools that I was fortunate to receive.

There are more than 100 AEDs scattered across the Island (I’m working to identify them and make the list available, and ideally viewable on a map). Through this process, it will be interesting to also determine where there are geographic gaps in coverage across the Island. My recent conversations with first responders have been very productive among the Island fire departments, paramedics, police, hospital, and YMCA, and are likely to yield great results.

Unfortunately, outside of AEDs available in public buildings and fitness locations, It’s not well-communicated across the business community where the private AEDs are located. This is not to say that every business needs to have an AED, but it is to suggest that more communication will help a retail store that may experience someone with a cardiac event to be able to take advantage of tools on hand, including knowhow at a nearby restaurant.

In the meantime, I’m in the process of organizing a nonprofit called MV Pulse Project in order to raise funds to buy AEDs, including training for at least 10 community organizations, to be determined based on location and the audience they serve. If you work for an Island nonprofit or community organization that would benefit from having an AED, please reach out to me at mvpulseproject@gmail.com. 

Also, if you are an EMT, paramedic, or healthcare professional who is qualified to train in CPR, AED, first aid, choking, etc., please contact me so we can include you on a comprehensive list of resources. If your business has an AED, it would be good to hear from you to be included on the list.

Among my tennis friends, I’m known as one of those Energizer Bunny types who chase every ball down and never let effort get in the way — skill notwithstanding. Now the tennis peeps are worried about my potential to be new-and-improved on the courts next spring. They are unanimously in favor of this alternative, so they can begin to wash the memory of a friend lying motionless for several minutes on the court. 

Pray that in the unfortunate event that you suffer a cardiac event, you are close to an AED, and knowledgeable people who know how to implement it and perform CPR. Or maybe you can pay it forward in your own way by getting certified in CPR — drop me a line, and I’ll be happy to share the many options. Otherwise, be on the lookout for an announcement soon about kicking off the MV Pulse Project.