Saving a life – know how to use a defibrillator
An Espanola man saved another by knowing how to use a defibrillator.
Espanola Royal Canadian Legion President Gary MacPherson was carrying out Legion business with member and Sargeant at Arms Don Arbour when Arbour collapsed back on June 11th.
Arbour, who is 66, had stents inserted in a vein near his heart nine years ago. He says he felt no pain, nothing when he collapsed.
“I love to run, I run about five kilometres a day. That day, I ran about 2.5 kilometres to the Legion to meet up with Gary to sign checks and finish up some Legion business. I remember signing a cheque and then nothing.”
MacPherson, who had learned how to use the portable defibrillator they have installed in the hall, called 911 and then began resuscitation procedures on Arbour.
“We were just working and I heard a strange noise, looked up and Don had collapsed on the floor. He was on his stomach and I rolled him over on his stomach and then I had to get his arm out from underneath as well. He was very, very heavy. It wasn’t easy to do. He was purple. I worked as quickly as I could.
“I had already called 911 and they were on the phone with me. I ran to the defibrillator, followed the instructions and brought him back. By then, Manitoulin-Sudbury Emergency Medical Services had arrived and whisked him away.”
MacPherson personally went looking for Don’s wife, Liz, and family members to tell them what happened. He did not want to do it over the phone, more so since he and Don had been friends a long time.
Arbour was flown to Health Sciences North in Greater Sudbury within the hour and EMS had to use a defibrillator four more times to bring him back.
“Most people, when they are revived, wake up and have some idea of where they are. I wasn’t doing that. They had to put me in an ice bath when I arrived in Sudbury and induce a coma. I woke up a couple of days after I collapsed wondering where I was and what was going on.”
Meanwhile, a supervisor of EMS had made a special trip back to the Legion to shake MacPherson’s hand stating, “you saved his life.”
MacPherson says the piece of equipment should be in every public place because, to put it simply, it works!
A defibrillator is a machine that sends a high energy electric shock through the heart. This high energy electric shock is called defibrillation. The aim of this shock is to return a heart to its normal working state if it goes into cardiac arrest.
He says, ironically, it was Arbour who had pushed for the defibrillator to be installed in the hall.
“As a footnote, Don bugged me for two years to get a defibrillator and we got it just three months ago and he installed it. Ironic, don’t you think?”
Arbour says he is grateful to MacPherson and for having the equipment in place.
“I had to have three stents put in my heart and am now on blood thinners, but I am alive, I am here. I had some short memory loss, but have now fully recovered.”
He adds the only thing that worries him is he had no warning signs and there is no easy test to make sure his stents are fine.
“I had no idea that the stents they put in nine years ago had completely blocked up. The doctors say there is no way to know if that is happening and doing a dye test is considered invasive, but I guess have to live with that. I am grateful to be here and will take care of myself best I can.”
Both men feel every Legion, let alone every public place should have a defibrillator and as many people as possible should know how to use one.
Arbour plans to continue his work at the Legion and his other interests and two important new ones: two new grandchildren born within the last few weeks.
His wife Liz says, “Gary is a hero. We are so grateful to him for saving Don’s life.”
She also agrees access to a defibrillator should be available to everyone so more lives can be saved.