As the Weme family played in the backyard on a hot Minnesota summer day, Robert Weme, 47, came outdoors to join his wife, children, and grandchildren. Lucas, his 20-year-old son, realized something was different about his father as he sat on the deck.
When Lucas walked over to see what was wrong, his father said that he had passed out in the kitchen. At this point, Lucas was becoming concerned at this time, until his father slumped out on the deck and began to convulse.
Lucas' mother and sisters rushed over to check on the youngsters while dialing 911. Then, Lucas began performing CPR on his father. He did around 30 compressions before beginning to return.
Robert responded to inquiries and appeared awake and attentive, and then everything changed just when everyone thought he was out of the woods. Robert ended up having another seizure when the first responder arrived. They were unable to locate a pulse. Robert recovered consciousness after another round of 30 compressions, and then went back out.
EMTs established an IV and proceeded to St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth. Lucas and his mother were never far behind the ambulance and arrived at the ER shortly after it. One of the drivers approached them and spoke with them. She stated that Robert was quite calm throughout the transfer, she stated, conversing, attentive, and oriented. They then returned to the emergency room.
What the ambulance driver may not have known was that his apparently healthy 47-year-old patient, who was a paramedic himself, biked or lifted weights for roughly an hour every day, including the day before this incident.
Lucas was a pre-med student who hoped to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in emergency medicine. He has been a registered EMT since he was 18 years old and currently works for Carlton Fire and Ambulance. It was there that he learnt CPR.
Robert had something he wanted to say to Lucas when he and his mother returned to the ER. He expressed his pride in Lucas' accomplishments.
Robert was absolutely correct. An out-of-hospital cardiac arrest has an 11 percent survival rate.
After being diagnosed with idiopathic cardiomyopathy, Robert was discharged from the hospital with a defibrillator and a family that retained their sense of humor.
Prepare to save lives by attending CPR classes and get a certified.