Local man shares story of survival during CPR Awareness Week June 1 through 7 is national CPR and AED Awareness week

Local man shares story of survival during CPR Awareness Week

June 1 through 7 is national CPR and AED Awareness week

SPARTANBURG, S.C. —

This is national CPR and AED Awareness week.

It is a push to get more people educated on how to perform CPR and to operate an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Alex Hollanshead is living proof of that knowledge in action.

Five days before his 33rd birthday, Hollanshead was running in a two-mile race for GE at the BMW Test Track. This was a minimal run compared to the highly active lifestyle to which Hollanshead was accustomed to. But after completing the race, he suddenly collapsed and went into a lethal rhythm that eventually led to cardiac arrest.

Fortunately for Hollanshead, it was what he refers to as the "perfect storm" of events that gave him the best chance to survive sudden cardiac death.

Alex Hollanshead is living proof of what that knowledge can do. For multiple Ironman finisher, his final race began with a new pair of shoes. "I got new shoes, so I was just using this race to break them in. I was two weeks away from qualifying for KONA. The World Championship of Ironman. 2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike, the you run a marathon 26.2 miles. So a quick 2 mile race around the BMW test track for work should have been a breeze. I made it! About right there and then I collapses. I knew I didn't trip. I went down in a kind slum and my heart entered a lethal rhythm send me into cardiac arrest. It just changed all that day and I was in a fight for my life. That's when Cathy, a retired ER nurse and total stranger jumped into action. She was right there when I collapsed. She knew exactly what to do and it was life or death situation. She kept me alive through CPR with the help of an on site AED for over 30 minutes until the ambulance arrived. Today, DONA isn't in the card but I know what really matters. I had less than a 1% chance to survive all of this. The breath in my body and a beat in my heart.