“Survivor Day” reunites cardiac arrest patients with First Responders

Linda McCort (second from left, above) and her family and Jack Luck (third from left, below)and his family were reunited with paramedics that saved their lives during Essex-Windsor EMS’ “Survivor Day” last Friday afternoon.

Those who suffered cardiac arrest in 2024 were reconnected with those who helped save them last week.

Essex-Windsor EMS presented its 12th annual “Survivor Day” last Friday afternoon at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts. Stories of 26 survivors were shared with the first responders who helped save them also highlighted.

The Survivor Day cases involved 63 paramedics, 69 firefighters, nine ambulance communications officers, seven Canada Border Services Agency officers and 23 civilians. Several of the paramedics, firefighters and ambulance communications officers were involved in more than one case.

One of the survivors celebrated was Linda McCort. McCort was working at Royal Canadian Legion Fort Malden Br. 157 helping to prepare a meal for a wake when she started to feel unwell Jan. 29, 2024. After trying to refresh herself by going outside, she came back inside where she started to sweat and feel nauseous. Then, she experienced “off the chart pain” in her elbows and shoulders.

As she had always been healthy, this was unusual for her. A friend recognized the symptoms, gave her a baby aspirin then called 911. Paramedics Wayne Russelo and Keith Affleck assessed her, give her more aspirin and a 12-lead interpretation was obtained, showing McCort was having a myocardial infarction. This was sent to a cardiologist to review, and the paramedics began transporting her to the hospital.

After McCort started to complain of dizziness and nausea, her heart rhythm changed to ventricular fibrillation. She became unresponsive and her vital signs were absent. The paramedics pulled over and immediately defibrillated her heart. McCort regained consciousness, and the paramedics noted a perfusing heart rhythm. 

Paramedics obtained a full set of vital signs and applied high-concentration oxygen therapy. After less than a minute, McCort’s heart went back into an irregular rhythm and no pulse was found. A second analysis was done, her heart was shocked, and CPR was initiated for a short time before she regained consciousness with a sinus rhythm. 

Her story continued to be read to the crowd at Survivor Day and further stated this series of events repeated before McCort was conscious and stable enough to resume transport to the hospital. The paramedics were able to rendezvous with advanced care paramedic Inkaran Ramesh, who hopped in the truck just as Linda became unconscious without a pulse for the fourth time. A shock to the heart was delivered, McCort’s circulation returned, and she gained consciousness until the ambulance arrived at the hospital. 

McCort said her family and friends didn’t believe her when she sent them a text message saying she was in the hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest. A cardiologist told her that her aorta had been completely blocked by a piece of plaque, and she was lucky to be alive. A stent was inserted to open the blockage. 

After nine months of recovery, Linda is doing well and has experienced no complications. She is grateful every day she wakes up, she said. 

“I’m overwhelmed,” she said at Friday’s ceremony. 

Thankful to the paramedics who saved her, McCort said she remembers most everything that happened while she was conscious.

“I’m doing great,” she said. “I’m feeling really good. I’ve had a full recovery.”

McCort said she didn’t know she was having a heart attack at the time. She encouraged people to notify others if they start feeling unwell.

“When you don’t feel good, let someone know,” she said. “You just don’t know.”

Another of the survivors was Jack Luck. Luck, 18-years-old at the time, was not feeling well at his home Feb. 8, 2024 when he suddenly passed out at his Windsor home. His father Darren rushed over, and Jack came to. He was bleeding from the back of the head and Luck was taken to a couch and given an ice pack. His blood pressure and glucose level were fine, but his breathing soon became laboured, grabbed his chest and passed out again. This time, his eyes rolled to the back of his head, he stopped breathing and had no pulse.

The family called 911 and paramedics Dawn Hodges and Ljubisa Apostolovski arrived shortly thereafter. They resuscitated Luck and restored his pulse after taking numerous measures. Then they rushed him to hospital, where his condition was stabilized and the recovery began. 

Luck was in the intensive care unit for ten days and then continued to recover at Windsor Regional Hospital for the rest of the month. He was eventually transferred to the London Health Sciences Centre to have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator put in his chest. He has since had a second one put in and takes medications that are still being fine-tuned. 

According to the story read at Survivor Day, the family was told Luck’s attack was caused by myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. Why Jack developed myocarditis is still a mystery, Darren said. 

Luck’s story has an Amherstburg connection. In Nov. 2024, Essex-Windsor EMS paramedic Dave Thibodeau showed Luck and his family how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) and CPR when someone goes into cardiac arrest. The AMA Sportsmen Association gave Jack an AED, and the family has become advocates of AED awareness.

“It truly just means the world to me,” he said of being at Survivor Day and meeting the paramedics that saved him. 

Luck recalled thinking he had the flu and nothing more that day. He said is doing well and encouraged others to learn how to use an AED and administer CPR, noting it can be a short period of time between life or death.

The aspiring kickboxer hopes to get back into it but right now is taking care of his health.

Hodges added she and other paramedics don’t think of themselves as heroes, believing what they do is part of their jobs. She said Luck’s case stands out due to his young age. 

Essex-Windsor EMS Deputy Chief Slawomir Pulcer said it was a privilege to be able to reunite everyone.

“It’s truly an honour to celebrate life and those who have defied the odds,” he said.

While honouring the survivors and thankful they are still alive, Pulcer also paid tribute to those who worked to save them.

“Together, they turned crisis into hope,” he said.

Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Justin Lammers called it a “day of reunions” and that the survivors are a testament “to what happens when the system works.” The training that paramedics and other first responders go through was another factor in saving the lives.

Lammers added they haven’t forgotten those who weren’t able to be saved. Despite their best efforts, paramedics were unable to save some people but the seven per cent survival rate locally is higher than the provincial average.

Having defibrillators around the community is key and Lammers touted efforts to spread the AED devices around and to share knowledge of how to use them and administer CPR to those in need.

Essex MPP Anthony Leardi thanked the EMS paramedics and others who helped assist in saving the lives, and said it is “incredible work” that they do. Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie also thanked the life savers and honoured the survivors and their resilience. He said first responders have to make split second decisions that require skill and courage.

Essex County Deputy Warden Joe Bachetti recognized all of those who helped save lives. He called it “a special day” and said the community owes everyone a huge debt of gratitude.

“Survivor Day” reunites cardiac arrest patients with First Responders

By Ron Giofu