News Release from: Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue
CARDIAC ARREST SURVIVOR TO REUNITE WITH EMERGENCY RESPONDERS; CELEBRATION OF LIFE (AND MARRIAGE) PLANNED
Posted: September 18th, 2012 2:10 PM
On August 12, 2012 at 7:44 am, Raoul Meekcom of Tualatin suffered a cardiac arrest in his home. As with all cardiac arrests, at that moment he was clinically dead with an approximate five percent chance for survival. Fortunately for Raoul, every critical element necessary to increase cardiac arrest survival was in place that morning. This included: hands-only CPR provided by his wife who was aided by five minutes of over-the-phone intense coaching from a Washington County 9-1-1 dispatcher; early defibrillation from City of Tualatin police officers who heard the call and responded with a their AED; advanced life-support cardiac treatment and drugs administered by paramedics from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and Metro West Ambulance; and a team of cardiac specialists at Legacy Meridian Park Hospital. Crews were able to convert Raoul's heart prior to arriving at the hospital. He then suffered a second cardiac arrest in the emergency room. A team of nurses and physicians worked
for 40 minutes before he was eventually resuscitated. Remarkably, today Raoul is doing extremely well and physicians have confirmed he has no mental or physical deficits from his cardiac arrests.
This Thursday at 10 a.m., Raoul and Sandra Meekcom will reunite with the 'team' that helped save Raoul's life. The day also marks Raoul and Sandra's 12th wedding anniversary! Media are invited to attend and interviews/photos will be granted following the reunion and presentation.
When: September 20th at 10 a.m.
Where: TVF&R Fire Station 34 (19365 SW 90th Court, Tualatin)
The survival rate for cardiac arrest patients is bleak; the national average for patients who live to be discharged from a hospital is only about five percent. However, TVF&R's survival rate over the past several years has ranged from 10.8 percent to 22.9 percent - making it among the top in the nation. TVF&R attributes its strong survival rates to several factors: quick calls to 9-1-1, dispatchers instructing callers to perform hands-only CPR, the growing availability of AEDs in the region (to include police units), and TVF&R's quick response and commitment to innovative cardiac care.
For more information on hands-only CPR and AEDs, visit TVF&R's website at www.tvfr.com.
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