Thursday, September 1st Zeke set out to a meeting in Fertile in his role as Public Relations Coordinator for Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen. Everyone who knows Zeke knows that after his passion for creating opportunity for students and college athletes, this job fits him perfectly! There aren’t many towns you travel to with Zeke where he doesn’t run into someone he knows, so it follows that PR for the Shooting Star is a great fit.
What he didn’t realize is that people, places, and time were aligning to provide him with an opportunity to survive a nearly always fatal heart event. Leaving his home on Union Lake he set out for his day wearing a heart monitor prescribed to help us learn more about next best steps in his health. He wasn’t feeling his best. Thank goodness he chose to stop at The Other Place in Fertile that day. Upon entering, an employee was there to greet him and ask what he wanted. He replied, I’m really having some severe chest pain right now and she asked him if she should call 911, to which he replied, yes. Immediately, Zeke collapsed to the floor.
The next significant thing for Zeke was that he was in Fertile, with is one of the region’s best known, highest quality ambulance teams. While waiting for the few minutes for that team to respond, strangers at the establishment realized he was seriously distressed and were compelled to help by rolling him to his side, which allowed him a few gasps of oxygen and then the ambulance team was there.
The ambulance transported Zeke directly to Essentia Health in Fargo where he was placed in the hands of one of the premier cardiac response teams in the region.
CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey. Learn more about CaringBridge.
