Survivor shares story ahead of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness month

Survivor shares story ahead of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness month

Dave Ogle's wife administered CPR for nine minutes and paramedics shocked his heart seven times before it started beating again.

WOODBURY, Minn. — As we head into a new month Friday, here's a valuable lesson that could one day help you save a life or your own.

October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month - a time to be more aware of a deadly health emergency that can happen to anyone at any time, like Dave Ogle.

"We sat down to watch TV and I heard this loud gasp and I looked at Dave, his head was back, his eyes were open but he wasn't there," said his wife Kris Patrow Ogle.

Dave suffered sudden cardiac arrest on July 7, 2019. His heart stopped pumping blood to his brain and lucky for him, Kris had just learned CPR.

"It was like the emotions turned off and the rescuer set in and I knew I had to do everything I could to save him," said Kris.

She worked for nine minutes until an ambulance arrived.

"They shocked my heart seven times before it started back up," said Dave. Any more after that and medical professionals usually have to give up.

The emergency can happen to anyone from infants to older adults even without signs of heart disease. Dave's chances of survival were even lower because he was at home.

But chances can be higher if it happens in public, like when Waseca's football coach recently went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the sidelines. He has since returned to the field.

As for Dave, he was inspired to also get CPR certified to one day, maybe save someone else's life.

"I want people to take that class, learn CPR, and maybe they can be somebody else's miracle," said Dave. "If you’ve learned it, don’t hesitate to perform it because I think a lot of people are afraid they might hurt somebody, but you could save their life."

Dave spent two months in the hospital. And now has a defibrillator implanted in his chest to monitor his heart rate. It will automatically shock him if something goes wrong.

There are several CPR classes available throughout the Twin Cities. Click here to find one that might work for you.