On June 20, our world turned upside down. Roger and I had planted some lilies and did some other yard work. We finished up and came in the house and had lunch. We were sitting on the couch and were ready to watch the Twins game when Roger complained about his back hurting and he was very nauseous. I asked if he was having chest pains, and he said “not really.” Shortly after that, he headed toward the bathroom and I heard a loud crash. I ran to the bathroom and found Roger lying chest down on the floor. He was unresponsive and felt very cold and clammy. I knew something was very wrong and ran to the kitchen to call 911. I told the dispatcher what happened and she said someone was on their way. I looked outside and the police car was already there at our house! The policeman came running up the sidewalk carrying a big, red case. I showed him to the bathroom and he was able to turn Roger part way over and he said, “We have trouble here.” He started to use (what I later learned) the AED machine, which is an automated external defibrillator, on Roger and started compressions. Then about two minutes later, two firemen came running in the house and hurriedly moved some furniture out of the way to carry Roger onto the living room floor. One of the first responders kept me in the kitchen talking calmly — I’m sure, to keep me calm. After a few minutes later, the EMT guys came in with a stretcher and loaded Roger on it. They wheeled him past me out the front door. I saw Roger’s chest moving, so I knew they got him to breathe. A responder offered to give me a ride to the hospital, but our good neighbor, Jerry Dahl, offered to take me. Roger was put on the Mayo One helicopter, and they flew him to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester.

We later learned Roger survived a massive heart attack also known as the “Widow Maker.” He was up at St. Marys for six days and is now home and 100 percent!

If it hadn’t been for the swift and professional actions of policeman Tim Harves, the first on the scene with his AED, and quick thinking (Roger calls him his lifesaver), and also the first responder firemen’s lifesaving help so quickly, Roger’s happy ending might have been so different.

We just want our Albert Lea friends and neighbors to know how blessed we are to have a team like this in our community when situations like this arise.

We want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU SO MUCH to these wonderful men:

• Police Officer Tim Harves

• Albert Lea Fire Department first responders Scott Hanna, Brian Neve, Jeff Posthumous and Jordan DeVries

• EMT ambulance crews Mike Juntunen and Dean Anderson

 

Marlene Olson 

Albert Lea