CPR AED Birmingham woman finds new courage after being saved by CPR

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CPR AED/ Birmingham woman finds new courage
after being saved by CPR
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Brian Maxwell was nearing the finish line when he
saw what he thought was a woman tripping and
falling down. I went over to help her up, but
when I rolled her over she had that look of death
on her, he said. Luckily for Rita Jones,
Maxwell also happened to be a paramedic
firefighter. Unable to find a pulse, he
immediately began fast and deep compressions. He
shouted to a friend to call 911 and get help from
the medic tent. Moments later, Maxwell used an
AED provided by the local fire crew, handing
Jones off to the EMS crew to take to the
hospital, and finished the race in Birmingham,
Alabama. As a lieutenant paramedic firefighter,
Maxwell has done CPR hundreds of times over his
26-year career. A CPR instructor, he had used the
lifesaving skill as a bystander two times. Both
resulted in the patient surviving.
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Its such a great feeling because its rare when
that happens, he said. About 90 percent of the
more than 350,000 people in the U.S. who
experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die.
But CPR, especially when performed immediately,
can double or triple a cardiac arrest victims
chance of survival. Dwight Wren, Jr., a
paramedic firefighter who responded to the Jones
call that October in 2015, said even after 27
years on the job, it still amazes him when
someone is resuscitated using CPR. Its just
very humbling, Wren said. This is just our job
and we do it, but its an awesome feeling because
it doesnt happen that often. Wren, who also
teaches CPR to high school students, said having
bystanders prepared to use the lifesaving skill
is crucial. If someone can start CPR or use an
AED before we get there, thats what saves
lives, he said.
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At the hospital, Jones, who was 53 at the time,
was put in a medically-induced coma to recover,
and given an implantable defibrillator to shock
her heart back into rhythm if it goes into
cardiac arrest again. She also got a surprising
diagnosis congestive heart failure. I thought
I was perfectly healthy, she said. The doctor
told me my heart just went haywire. Although
Jones never had any indication of trouble with
her heart health, she had a family history of
heart disease that increased her own risks. Her
mother had an irregular heart rhythm called
atrial fibrillation, or AFib, and one of her
brothers required bypass surgery. Jones
underwent cardiac rehab and made additional
changes to the familys diet. Her daughter,
Chamekia Jones said the experience has been
life-changing for the entire family, which
overhauled its diet further to eliminate added
sodium and rich sauces. Theyve swapped pork and
beef for more skinless poultry and fish.
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We thought we were eating healthy, but there was
more we could do, she said. Jones says she
always knew CPR could save lives, but although
she had undergone training, she often doubted she
would have the courage to act. She said she now
would find a way. I would definitely act to
save someone, Jones said. I cant imagine the
happiness you would feel if you could save a
life. It would be such a great gift to
give. Chamekia Jones said she also plans to
undergo CPR training, inspired by the paramedic
who saved her mother. Ive always known it was
important, but am so grateful that there were
people there to do it, Chamekia Jones said.
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Today, Jones continues to exercise, albeit using
a heart monitor and at a lower intensity because
she struggles with shortness of breath. Jones
said she was too fearful to return to the
Birmingham, Alabama, Susan G. Komen race in 2016,
but shes already recruited her daughter and
future son-in-law, along with other friends and
family to participate in the Birmingham Heart
Walk this month. Learn more about CPR AED.
Bergenfield, NJ, Jersey City, NJ, Livingston, NJ,
and Queens, New York. Source
newsarchive.heart.org
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