Survivors of cardiac arrest turned out Friday to thank the first responders who saved their lives.
Hundreds of people, including paramedics, firefighters, police officers, dispatchers, hospital personnel, lab technicians and Good Samaritans gathered at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts for the seventh annual Essex-Windsor EMS Survivor Day. The event is a chance for those saved from potential death to thank those who had a hand in saving them.
The Survivor Day was presided over by Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Bruce Krauter, who pointed out 258 cardiac patients were cared for in 2017. These are defined as those requiring artificial means to bring back a pulse and respiration.
Windsor emergency room physician Dr. Paul Bradford added that before the first Survivor Day, there were only six survivors. This year there are 46 who recovered and went back to their homes.
One of the survivors attending the event was Jennifer Svenson of Kingsville. Last January her heart stopped beating when she came in contact with a 2,000-volt electric shock. She survived because of the efforts of paramedics who answered the call.
Svenson declined to speak on tape, but one of the paramedics who answered the call, Nicole Awram, described the environment she encountered.
"Pure chaos," said Awram. "But that's what we were trained to work in, pure chaos. Me and my colleagues, we just walked in, did our jobs and got her out as quick as we could."
Richard Tychkowski of Windsor was another patient who survived a near-fatal heart episode. Having a history of heart trouble, Tychkowski said the most recent event could have finished him if it wasn't for EMS and Windsor firefighters who helped.
Cardiac arrest survivor Richard Tyczkowski poses with some of the first responders who helped him during the 7th Survivor Day at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts, Windsor, June 1, 2018. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News.
"Even my family doctor told me that according to the readings that she received, she was amazed that I survived, so I guess my prognosis was not good," said Tychkowski with a laugh.
Survivor Day recognised first responders representing agencies throughout Windsor-Essex.