Australian Man Thanks Care Team In Aurora 1 Year After Surviving Cardiac Arrest
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- One year after suffering a cardiac arrest while on vacation in Beaver Creek, an Australian man is back in Colorado. Russell Flack wanted to say 'Thank you' to his care team even though he wouldn't recognize them.
"I have no memory of that day at all. I have no memory of even coming to the U.S. at all that holiday," said Flack.
Russell Flack and his wife, Di, had been skiing for several days at Beaver Creek. Russell had been feeling great but after a long day of skiing, he noticed his heart began to flutter. He decided to lay down.
"I could hear him making some strange noises, so I went back into the room and I realized that he was having a cardiac arrest," said Di.
Di said Russell occasionally suffered from Atrial Fibrillation but she never expected it would result in cardiac arrest. Di, a nurse, jumped into action and began CPR.
She was grateful to be with other family members who assisted, "There was no way I could've done it on my own, ever."
It took all hands on deck, paramedics arrived within minutes and Russell was flown to the Medical Center of Aurora.
Russell was emotional sitting next to his wife, thinking about how close he came to losing his life, "Our family is everything to us."
Di credits the quick action of paramedics along with staff at the Aurora Medical Center for her husband's miraculous recovery.
"I don't know that Russell would be in the shape that he's in now, so I attribute his recovery to the staff here," said Di.
Russell not only lost his memory of the incident, the lack of oxygen to his brain during it, erased decades of memories.
"The last few months I can remember, but before that I don't have any recollection; I don't remember getting married or having children," Russell said.
Doctors say this is common among victims of cardiac arrest. What isn't common is just how well Russell has recovered.
Russell was in critical condition and stayed at the Aurora Medical Center for 3 ½ weeks. The staff there became like family to the Flacks.
When Russell was finally transferred to a hospital in Australia, Di kept the staff in Aurora up-to-speed with Russell's recovery. No one expected he would make such progress.
Doctors say every minute counts and in Russell's case, the outcome would have likely been very different had Di not started CPR right away.
On Thursday, Di and Russell returned to the Aurora Medical Center for a reunion, almost exactly one year later.
"We owe so much to these people and I just think it's important to come back and thank people for what they've done for us and yes they were wonderful, wonderful people."
Russell says slowly, his memories are returning. Di quizzed him about the day he proposed.
"Did we discuss this the other day?" Russell laughed.
He continued, "I can't quite recall. How did I do it darling?"
Di picked up the story for him, "You proposed to me down at the Gulf Coast and you got on your knees and you said that I would make you a very happy man if you married me and I said 'okay!'"
Through it all, there was one thing Russell never forgot, "We've been married 43 years and Di is the love of my life."
Doctors say it is rare to survive a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting. They emphasize the importance of knowing how to administer CPR.