Sept. 5, 1999
Every single day, almost 700 Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest.
Some cardiac arrest patients can be "shocked" back to life by defibrillators, if they are lucky enough to be in a hospital when they need it.
But what if your heart stops while you are in an airplane, 30,000 feet up?
It happend to one woman, and she's alive to tell the story to News Specialist Shelley Osterloh.
Bridgett McDonald doesn't look like a candidate for cardiac arrest. She's done aerboics and weight lifting for years, and at age 40 appears fit.
But last May, while working as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines, her heart stopped.
Bridgett McDonald/Cardiac Arrest Survivor: SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF I JUST SLUMPED OVER. FOR A MINUTE THERE THE OTHER FLIGHT ATTENDENT THOUGHT I WAS CLOSING MY EYES TO REST FOR A MOMENT."
As the lead flight attendent, McDonald usually sat in the this front seat alone. But luckily, another off-duty attendent was riding beside her.
She realized McDonald had no pulse, and no heart beat.
The flight attendent started CPR and paged for medical help from passengers.
Karen Winters R.N./Passenger: FRIGHTENING, I WAS REALLY AFRAID."
Karen Winters, an 18 year surgical nurse, was on board.
Karen Winters R.N./Passenger: I'VE BEEN AN OPERATING NURSE FOR A LOT OF YEARS, IN VERY CONTROLLED SITUATIONS. SO THIS WAS VERY DIFFERENT FOR ME, IT'S SOMETHING I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED IN ALL OF MY 18 YEARS."
As Winters, her husband and another nurse did CPR, flight personnel grabbed one of these --
Joy Rodemoyer /Delta Instructor: THIS IS OUR A.E.D, OUR AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATOR. THIS BROUGHT HER BACK TO LIFE. IT BASICALLY RESTORED HER LIFE."
Bridgett McDonald: THEY SHOCKED ME TWICE... IT TOOK TWO SHOCKS TO GET MY HEART GOING AGAIN.
As crew and passengers kept up the CPR in the narrow hallway, the pilot made an emergency landing.
Now, months later, McDonald feels well enought to learn golf.
She had vetricular fibrillation -- an irregular heart rhythym-- that got so out of sync it stopped.
Now she wears a surgically implanted defibrillator and pace maker, about the size of a pager, just under her collarbone.
Shelley Osterloh, Eyewitness News: "THERE WERE SOME UNUSAL CIRCUMSTANCES AT THE TIME BRIDGETT'S HEART STOPPED. THERE WERE JUST A HANDFUL OF PLANES THAT HAD DEFIBRIALLATORS. A MECHANIC HAD PUT ONE ON THAT PARTICUALR PLANE JUST THE NIGHT BEFORE.
Bridgette and the non-working flight attendent were the only ones trained to use the A.E.D., but its' simplicity and the fact that there were others trained in CPR, saved her life.
Joy Rodemoyer /Delta Recurrent Instructor:
THE IRONY IS THAT WE USED IT ON A FLIGHT ATTENDANT FIRST, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT IT WORKS, AND THAT IT SAVED HER.
Karen Winters, Nurse: I THINK SHE HAS PURPOSE IN LIFE AND I DON'T WHAT IT IS, AND SHE MAY NOT EVER KNOW, BUT SHE A HAS REASON THAT SHE IS HERE.
Bridgette goes back to work this week after a three month medical leave... grateful for the people and circumstances which saved her life.
Bridgett McDonald: THERE'S WINNING THE LOTTO FOR YA. LAUGHS. I TELL YA I WON IT THAT DAY.
