Colorado woman survives cardiac arrest, relearns CPR in rural mountain community
A Clear Creek County woman is relearning CPR weeks after she says the technique saved her life.
Kristie Pellitteri collapsed in her bathroom on Jan. 8 after suffering two massive pulmonary embolisms that stopped her heart and stopped her breathing. Her husband, David Ruttinger, was home at the time.
"I collapsed in our home and I went down," Pellitteri said.
Ruttinger started CPR and called 911.
"I just started breathing into her lungs," Ruttinger said. "I didn't do everything right initially, but it was only after a few seconds ... she came back."
Clear Creek EMS transported Pellitteri to St. Anthony Hospital, where she was treated after crews performed four rounds of CPR during the trip. Four rounds were needed because the amount of time it takes to do that covers the distance it takes for many people in Clear Creek County to get to a hospital.
Thankfully, Pellitteri made it.
"I was so happy to be alive when I woke up," Pellitteri said.
Clear Creek EMS officials said her survival highlights the importance of bystander CPR, especially in rural mountain communities where response times can be longer.
"We are a rural community with some homes that are up to 30 minutes away," Clark Church with Clear Creek EMS said. "It's really important in a medical emergency, the earlier you get CPR, the better -- especially in cardiac arrest."
The agency has a goal of training 15% of the community each year in CPR to achieve a designated "heart safe" status.
"The more people we can get to help us spread that out in the community, it's awesome for us," Church explained.
Pellitteri said she later met the EMS crew who treated her and remains grateful.
"I am someone that passed away. I died for a while," she said. "I'm just really happy to be here."
Now, both she and her husband are brushing up on their certification and encouraging others to do the same.
"Do something, right," Ruttinger said. "(Calling) 911 is the least that you can do. And don't freeze. And if you can, do take a course because knowing what you're doing I think goes a long way."
EMS officials said even learning hands-only chest compressions from a short instructional video can make a difference while waiting for help to arrive.