It’s not every day that we get to say thank you to someone for saving our life, but one year after a near fatal event Dan Dennis came to Thompson Valley EMS to meet and thank Kathleen Hugenberg, the paramedic who played a key role in his survival.

Dan remembers little from that day, but Kathleen remarks that she will never forget it:  “It all started on a March morning in 2011 when Thompson Valley EMS was dispatched to a chest pain call. This is a pretty routine call for us,” Kathleen recalls, “but you can never let your guard down. When we arrived Dan was talking to me, but a few minutes later he went into ventricular fibrillation.”

It took some cool thinking on Kathleen’s part and the decisive action of the whole emergency team to save his life.  The team attached the 12-lead heart monitor to Dan’s chest and delivered a shock that put his heart back into a normal rhythm. Two more shocks were needed before the ambulance arrived at the emergency center.

 Kathleen Hugenberg and Dan Dennis

If Dan had ignored his symptoms that day and the staff at his office had not called 911, the outcome could have been very different.  That is why it is important to recognize the warning signs and not drive yourself to a hospital. By calling 911, Dan got a team of professionals with the proper equipment.  They knew what to do in that critical moment when the unthinkable happened. The team stabilized his heart rhythm and transported him directly to the hospital where an emergency room team and an interventional cardiologist took over care and opened his blocked artery.  The right timing and the right people with the right skills all led to Dan being here today with his loving family and enjoying a great quality of life.

Do you know what to do if someone is badly injured or suddenly becomes sick? You should. Just knowing how to call for help in an emergency can help save a life. Take a few moments to read this information - share it with your family and friends. Know how to make the right call - who to call for help, when to call and what to do until help arrives - in medical emergencies.