QCA heart-attack survivor meets AirCare ‘superheroes’ that saved his life

Owen Meyers’ normal day at work on Dec. 3 quickly changed for the worse.

While he was operating an excavator, Meyers felt a sudden, intense chest pain. He knew something was wrong. It felt similar to the two heart attacks he had prior to this cold day at work.

Meyers quickly shut off the machine, told his coworkers to call an ambulance and to tell his son who was on the ground.

Meyers managed to get down from the excavator and into his truck. That’s where his son, Justin, met him. They flew down the gravel road to meet the ambulance on U. S. 30. Then Meyers was transported in the ambulance to a hospital in Clinton, with Justin trailing closely behind in the truck.

“The not knowing anything for 20 minutes was more stressful than the ride to the ambulance,” said Justin.

It did give time for Justin to call Meyers’ wife, Rori. She rushed to the hospital with no clue what to expect.

“I knew it was bad when the chaplain met me in the emergency room at Mercy,” said Rori. “They took me back and my first question to him was ‘Is he alive?'”

The medical staff decided they need to transport Meyers to MercyOne Genesis East in Davenport because it is better suited to help a person suffering from cardiac arrest. To get Meyers there safely and quickly, he was airlifted. That’s where the University of Iowa Hospital’s AirCare team stepped in.

“Their demeanor, their knowledge, their personalities, was just such, ‘They’re here, like superheroes,'” said Rori.

As the AirCare helicopter took off, Meyers’ condition drastically changed. Medication was not working to bring his heart back to strength.

“Shortly after we lifted, I didn’t like his skin color. I was like, ‘Something’s not right,'” said Ashley Harrington, a nurse on the helicopter. “We determined that it wasn’t quite enough. Something else was happening, probably in the mechanics of his heart.”

Chris Shirer, the paramedic on the flight, checked Meyers’ pulse and noticed it was far too faint. The emergency responders had to start CPR in the air. The crew used a new piece of equipment, an AutoPulse, which provides a safer and more efficient way to conduct CPR. The machine weighs about 20 pounds and straps around the torso of the recipient. It’s partly responsible for keeping Meyers alive until they reached the hospital.

“That was the most amazing 18 minutes of his life that kept him going,” said Rori. “That flight was God-sent.”

With the help of doctors and ICU nurses, Meyers became stable. Three days later he regained consciousness and has been recovering ever since.

The journey did not end there, though.

After Owen was released from the hospital, he and his family wanted to thank the people who allowed him to get back to hunting and hanging out with his nine grandchildren.

“Papa is still here to help them out,” said Meyers. “That’s what (Meyers’ grandchildren) call me.”

Tuesday morning that moment arrived. The Meyers family greeted Shirer and Harrington with big hugs and a few tears. That’s the kind of moment medics don’t have too often.

“I was really grateful that this all came together,” said Harrington. ” It just reminds you why we do it.”