My husband and I were up at our cabin in McCall, ID on August 7, 2020.  My husband, Steve, had just come inside after working in the yard and I was apparently making toast in the kitchen when I told him I felt like I was going to pass out.  (I don’t remember anything about the event). He ran around the counter and caught me as I went down.  I started turning blue and stopped breathing.  After quickly opening the front door for the EMTs and calling 911, he placed the phone on speaker and started CPR.  The paramedics arrived quickly and shocked me back to life. I was then flown down to the larger hospital in Boise, ID, where I stayed for 4 days.  During that time, I had an ICD implanted due to my Long QT.  (I had an ICD years ago, but it had been removed in 2007 due to an infection, and not replaced.  Some doctors back then felt that maybe I didn’t really have Long QT, but it is now a definite diagnosis and hopefully, soon I can have gene testing to verify which kind I have).

I’m so thankful that even though my husband hadn’t had CPR training for many years, those lessons came back to him in an emergency!  I’m also grateful to our local McCall Fire and Police departments for their quick response.  I was able to go back up to McCall 7 weeks later and thank my heroes at the Fire Department. 

On January 13th, 2019, I woke up to a seemingly normal Sunday. I was a healthy, 30 year old mother sharing breakfast with my 11 month old son and my husband, Scott. When I went to get our son ready for church, Scott had a feeling that he needed to come check on us. What he walked into was nothing normal. Scott found me unconscious, pulseless, and turning blue…clinically dead. His prior training as a lifeguard and our recent CPR class gave him the tools necessary to act fast. He started compressions and called 911. With incredible guidance from our 911 dispatcher and fire & ambulance there in minutes, I was quickly receiving shocks and being transported to the hospital. 

I had CPR within minutes, shocks from an AED, and near immediate care, yet my family was still told to prepare for the worst. I was put into a therapeutic hypothermia coma, and Scott spent the next several days talking to me, praying, and not knowing what life would look like for us on the other side. We are one of the very few lucky ones where I miraculously made a full recovery, but that is far from the case for almost all cardiac arrests. The only way to survive Sudden Cardiac Arrest is with bystander CPR, and the only way to help more people survive is to spread awareness on CPR and AED training. 

Do you have an SCA survivor story? We’d love for you to share it with us! Just send a short video (1-3 minutes long) or a written story to SADSblog@SADS.org. 

The first time I had my cardiac arrest was February 13^th, 2016.   My cardiac arrest occurred when I was at baseball practice and I told my coach I did not feel right and was having a lot of pain.  I thought it was just muscle pain, but I ignored it and a few minutes later it came back.  My coach told me to sit down for a few minutes.  Then it was my turn to play baseball.   Then, all of a sudden, I collapsed on the baseball field and suffered a cardiac arrest. 

Because of the life-saving measures of my coach who did CPR on me and 911 emergency services, I survived!   My heart had stopped beating and I had no pulse.  They performed CPR on me until the ambulance came.  I was air lifted to the Children’s Hospital, Lucile Packard at Palo Alto Stanford.  I was in the intensive care unit for two months straight fighting for my life!  

Thanks to my coaches, I am alive today.   I had symptoms on the same day of the game and my cardiac arrest, but no symptoms the day before.   When I woke up, I was in the hospital.  Now, I see my cardiologist every two months for follow-up. 

Do you have an SCA survivor story? We’d love for you to share it with us! Just send a short video (1-3 minutes long) or a written story to SADSblog@SADS.org. 

Name: Tisha M.

Age: 36 y/o

Which SADS condition do you have? Brugada Syndrome

When were you diagnosed? 12/27/19

How are you treated? (Beta blocker, ICD, etc.) ICD

How/when were you diagnosed?

I went to Urgent Care on 12/27/19 with complaints of flu symptoms. When the nurses checked my heart rate it was in the 220s. They did an EKG and I was in ventricular tachycardia. They immediately called 911 and sent me to the ER. My diagnosis was Brugada syndrome. I was in the CCU from 12/27-12/31. I had an ICD put in on 12/31 and was discharged the same day. I am recovering and getting back to the groove of things.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in living with your diagnosis? I have 2 young kids (1 and 3 y/o) and if it weren’t for the flu and urgent care visit that sent me to the ER I probably would’ve been dead or paralyzed. 

What is one positive thing that has come out of your diagnosis?

Getting the ICD which will save my life if ever I go in that rhythm again. To be able to get genetically tested and get my kids tested if I carry the gene potentially saving their lives. Raise awareness to encourage friends and family members to get tested if there’s any history of sudden death in the family – potentially be able to save their lives as well. I am Filipino and my risk for the Brugada syndrome is higher as it is common in Southeast Asian population.

What encouragement or advice would you give someone who has just been diagnosed with your condition?

To be able to find out sooner and get the proper preventative measures (ICD) is a blessing that will allow us to live a normal life.

What does your day-to-day life look like?

I was just diagnosed and just had an ICD placed a week ago. I am blessed to be alive, to be able to spend more time with my husband and kids, blessed to be able to bring awareness to this syndrome.

What are your favorite hobbies and activities?

Traveling, working out (I ran half marathons and did crossfit prior to having kids and up until I had my 2nd child. No symptoms of Brugada Syndrome back then), watching movies/TV series.

Terry Bishop was nominated as a Heart Hero by his wife, Whitney. He lives with Brugada Syndrome.  Congratulations on being a Heart Hero, Terry!    

Terry has been so strong through this learning experience we have gone through. He is the carrier and 2 of our 5 children, both girls, have Brugada Syndrome. He has shown our girls that fear is okay but God and knowledge are so powerful! He is there every step of the way for our family. He continues to work his bottom off and strives to be an amazing husband and father all while dealing with a life changing heart condition. He continues to show love and support for our girls. He is definitely a hero to them. They know that they are NOT alone on this journey because together they share a bond that not one of us can compare to. He builds them up when they are scared and assured me daily he’s not going anywhere when I am scared!!! He is so stressed all the time and he never lets it show. He is my Heart Hero because he is the rock of this family!!!

Donate to SADS in honor of Terry, the #SADSHeartMonth Heart Hero!
https://www.sads.org/Donate