Raynham man who had heart attack while jogging reunited with strangers who saved his life

On Saturday, March 10, three local women stopped in the middle of a busy morning to save Raynham resident John Hogan's life after he collapsed from a heart attack while jogging on King Phillip Street.

On Saturday, April 6, the Raynham Fire Department honored them and Rayham Fire and Police personnel in a ceremony at the Orchard Street station filled with words and letters of gratitude from department leaders and tearful thanks from Hogan himself.

Hogan, 59, and members of his family seated in the front row teared up as he spoke.

"I've lived here in Raynham 25-plus years," he said. "I'm thankful to be here in general today thanks to their quick response. I am just blessed and grateful to the people who saved my life and I am happy they are getting this honor."

The day strangers save his life

On March 10 at 10:30 a.m., Danielle Vlachos, an off-duty nurse, and Kelsi Korzeniowski, a dialysis technician, found Hogan unconscious on the ground on Kings Phillips Street and took turns administering CPR. Brenna Ennis, daughter of Raynham firefighter Mark Ennis, stopped to dial 911. Raynham fire paramedics and a Raynham police officer arrived within five minutes to defibrillate him and transport him to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, when en-route, he regained his pulse.

"It's amazing that people have come together to do something for someone that they don't know personally, and that's the magic of just being a good person and doing the right thing," Hogan said.

Vlachos, Korzeniowski and Ennis were awarded the letters of commendation for their actions that day as were Raynham Police Officer Josh O'Brien, Raynham Fire Lt. Bradford Carr, Raynham Firefighter-Paramedic Salvatore Imprecia, Raynham Firefighter-Paramedic Tab Shumway, Raynham Firefighter-Paramedic Michael Haggerty and Raynham Firefighter-Paramedic Joseph Gill.

Early response key to good outcome

Carr said the entire rescue took a little over five minutes. The key to Hogan's survival, he said, was that immediate response from the three women.

"Without that good foundation, that oxygen to the brain, that immediate care, that made the difference," Carr said.

Brenna Ennis' mother, Michelle Lalor-Carr, who accepted her daughter's Letter of Commendation on her behalf, said Brenna was just in the right place at the right time, and her daughter was glad she was.

"She's absolutely thrilled that he's now alive," she said.

Shumway said the ceremony was a way to "exhibit" how an early intervention in a medical emergency can make a difference and a way to encourage more such "interventions."

"We thank you for stopping the way you did that day and saving a man's life," he said.

Raynham responds to 30 to 40 cardiac events a year

He noted later that Raynham responds to 30 to 40 cardiac arrest reports each year, and 5 to 10% of them turn out well because they involved an early response.

Hogan said his doctors have given him a clean bill of health. But as to jogging again, he said not right away.

Hogan then hugged Vlachos and Korzeniowski and sat to talk with them. "My ribs were so sore for a while, and I was never so glad to have such sore ribs," he told them.

Asked why she responded that day, Korzeniowski said,

"I had no second thoughts. I would want someone to respond to one of my loved one who would be found that way," she said.

Also present for the ceremony were Hogan's wife Laura, twin daughters Kaitlyn and Brittany and daughter Rebecca along with her husband Adrian and 5-month-old son Alexander.