Ron Eddie’s story: Paramedic’s survival highlights importance of CPR training

Ron Eddie, a paramedic from Westfield, survived a cardiac arrest in March thanks to the immediate actions of his wife, Nancy Morrissey, and the swift response of emergency services.

Eddie is now sharing his story to educate the public on the vital importance of learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

His experience highlights the critical role of timely interventions when all the steps of the American Heart Association’s ‘Chain of Survival’ come together.

The American Heart Association’s ‘Chain of Survival’ is a series of critical steps designed to improve outcomes for patients with cardiac arrest. When these steps are followed effectively, a patient’s survival rate can exceed 60%. Eddie, a paramedic with Cataldo Ambulance Services in Holyoke, experienced this protocol firsthand after a sudden medical emergency.

Ron Eddie, who has responded to numerous emergencies throughout his career, found himself in a life-threatening situation at his home. “I just finished doing a 12-hour shift in Holyoke, I drove home, I was home for about 15 minutes when all of a sudden… the lights went out in my head,” Eddie said.

His wife, Nancy Morrissey, a retired medic, witnessed the incident. Morrissey described the moment Ron collapsed: “I had gotten him chocolate ice cream, so he was just about to eat it, and he stood up, and he walked over to the TV. Didn’t say a word, and then just stood there for a couple of seconds. And then just fell over backwards.”

Morrissey immediately initiated CPR and contacted emergency services. “I immediately called 911 while doing my compressions. I just gave them my address and told them that he was in cardiac arrest. And then, before I knew it, the police were here. We’re at the house,” Morrissey explained.

As a retired medic, Morrissey performed the first two critical links of the Chain of Survival: recognizing the cardiac arrest and initiating early CPR. Emergency responders arrived at the scene within 90 seconds to continue the life-saving efforts.

Paramedics began defibrillation and resuscitation upon arrival. Eddie regained his pulse quickly. “And after one shock, they got my pulse back,” Eddie said.

Following the on-scene interventions, Ron Eddie was transported to Baystate Medical Center for post-cardiac arrest care, which is the fifth step in the Chain of Survival. After spending a few days in the intensive care unit, he underwent a heart catheterization procedure.

“They opened that up and all of a sudden I turned into superman again. I’m good for another 100 years,” Eddie stated regarding his recovery.

Eddie attributes his survival to the combined efforts of his wife and the emergency personnel. “I’m like an exception to the rule. I don’t know why I’m so lucky, just that I had Nancy, and the police, and the fire department, all come together at one time,” he said.

Nancy Morrissey also emphasized the community benefit of CPR training. “Because believe me, we’ve gone to a lot of places, where people are trained, they’ve never had to do it before, but they’re doing a beautiful job,” Morrissey noted.

Ron Eddie is currently in recovery and will be off the job for a few months. His experience underscores the importance of learning CPR, with efforts now focused on educating others through online or local courses.