Portage Township YMCA Sees a Life Saved

Andrew-DannyThere are some things in life that happen and make you question the validity of the idea of “coincidence”. If you believe in a higher power, you might think that someone up above has a hand in life’s goings-on’s and this puts the right people in the right place at the right time.

Jeff Ford, a 45-year-old family man was working out at the Portage Township YMCA on a recent Sunday. Ford has been a member for about two years and he is often seen at the Y. That day he was running a 5k on the treadmill like he normally did. About two and a half miles in he stops to take a drink of water.

“I was running before I was supposed to lift weights and I stopped to take a drink water and I just passed out,” Ford said. “Next thing I know I woke up in the hospital.”

Ford's heart had given out just then.

Someone had seen him fall and ran to get help. The MOD also saw that Ford’s condition wasn’t doing well and immediately called 911. Meanwhile, Danny Gonzalez, Health and Wellness Coordinator at St. Mary Medical Center, and Andrew Zimmer, Sports Coordinator at the Portage YMCA had just started their duties as officials for a men’s basketball league at the Y.

“It was the first week of the season and we don’t work on Sundays,” Gonzalez said. “The MOD knew I was here and because of the partnership between St. Mary Medical Center and the Portage Y they knew I had medical background so they thought that I should be part of the situation.”

Gonzalez and Zimmer ran into the gym and instructed someone to grab the AED (automated external defibrillator). They approached Ford and Gonzalez saw that he was in cardiogenic shock. Placing him on the floor, Gonzalez immediately began chest compressions. When the AED arrived, Gonzalez attached the pads in the correct places and shock was advised. Afterward CPR was continued. Gonzalez began to fatigue and instructed Zimmer to take over. By that time the EMS had arrived and took it from there. Ford was transported to the hospital where doctors were able to help him in time. One of his arteries had 100% blockage and the other 98% blockage.

“I had no indicators before this that I was sick,” Ford said. “I’ve never had heart issues before so this was a huge surprise to me.”

Ford is now on the mend, recuperating well in his home.

It’s a requirement for everyone on staff at the Portage Township YMCA to be CPR, AED, and First Aid certified. They go through hours of training to get the knowledge they need with the hope that they will never have to use it.

“I’ve been CPR certified since high school and mine had actually expired so I took the course with Danny as my instructor,” Zimmer said. “It was all still pretty fresh in my mind so I felt confident that I could administer CPR to Ford. Danny is a very good teacher and he takes it very seriously.”

Gonzalez gives lots of credit to the YMCA staff for their efforts. They knew that time was of the essence and that in order to give Ford the best chances of survival that they had to work quickly and calmly.

“In situations like these you cannot panic. You have to stay in control. The team at the Portage YMCA did a great job of staying in control,” Gonzalez said. “This is what we’re trained for.”

"You have no time to panic," Zimmer said. "You do what you have to do because it's the right thing to do."

“I feel very blessed that they were there,” Ford said. “I’m very grateful and lucky that they were there around and educated in CPR and AED. And a huge shout out goes to Portage Fire Department because they supplied the AEDs to the Y.”

Gonzalez and Zimmer echoed Ford’s words saying how impressed they were with the fire department’s quick response time and their willingness to let the Y have AEDs in the facility.

“They do so much for the YMCA and for the city at large,” Gonzalez said. “You see that the city of Portage really cares about the community through this.”

This is why that term “knowledge is power” has meaning. Without the training that the YMCA staff had, you may not be reading this story with a happy ending. Through their partnership with St. Mary Medical Center, the Y has access to many health resources including free screenings, interactive demonstrations, and countless sources of education so that you can be aware and you can be safe.

St. Mary’s believes in taking preventative measures and in being actively involved with the community to make sure that the knowledge and skills needed in emergency situations are shared. The Portage YMCA obviously had the skills and they were able to administer them through Zimmer and Gonzales.

"IUN, St. Mary Medical Center, the Portage Y, and the Portage Fire Department have been instrumental in my life. They have all in one way or another provided the skills necessary to deal with emergency situations as such. I also wanted to credit God for having His hands in this situation. I thank God everyday for giving me the patience, courage, focus and determination to face every day challenges. Lastly, I want to encourage people in the community to go visit a physician, eat healthy, be active, attend health seminars, and make use of health screenings being offered. I see the City of Portage headed in the right direction but we need more help to spread the word," Gonzalez said.

“The YMCA is a great place and anyone looking for a place to go get healthy might want to look into a place that has the equipment and people who can save your life,” Ford advised in closing.