Jeff Nyman knows just how critical it is to act fast during a cardiac emergency. While playing pickleball with friends, he suddenly went into cardiac arrest.
“One person called 9-1-1, the other person addressed the cut I had on my head, and the other person did CPR right away, and they did that for a minute or two, and then the Ashwaubenon police officer came with the AED,” Nyman recalled.
Their quick thinking saved his life.
Dr. Bob Zemple, EMS Medical Director at Aurora BayCare Medical Center, explains the three key steps to surviving cardiac arrest: “One is early activation of the 911 system, the second is high-quality CPR, and the third is early use of an AED… Getting those three things early in cardiac arrest allows people to have the best chance at survival.”
“Every minute that we delay in getting good CPR started, the chance of survival goes down by about 10 percent,” Dr. Zemple said. “It can happen anywhere… being able to help the person next to you… is what we really should try and focus on.”
Thanks to his friends’ actions, Nyman is here today. “In all honesty, they’re my heroes,” he said. “I’m sure they’ve had CPR training, but none of them were certified… I think if we can get people trained… you’re going to save lives.”
To help more people be prepared, the Compress and Shock Foundation and Aurora BayCare Medical Center is offering a free training session on June 8. For more info or to register, visit ABMC | Compress and Shock.
Watch the full clip here.