When John Nelson organized a special get-together of friends and family, he picked Lucky’s Steakhouse in Clio.
It was most conveniently located. It’s name was appropriate, too, especially since those he invited saved his life at a softball game in Independence Township this past summer.
“I was really lucky,” said Nelson, 66, of Haslett.
He was playing in the Michigan Senior Olympics Tournament at Clintonwood Park on Aug. 23 when he collapsed in full cardiac arrest.
“The ball was over my head. My arm hurt. I could see the ball coming, but my body wasn’t working,” he said. “The next thing I knew, people were over me. These guys were amazing.”
It was those people he invited to dinner, Nov. 9, to thank them now that he has fully recovered. Many were able to make it, including Anna Warren of Midland, who was playing softball in an adjacent field.
Warren is a cardiac specialist with 30 years of experience dealing with heart attack victims.
“I heard someone yell ‘call 9-1-1? from the other field,” said Warren, who was playing second base at the time. “I thought maybe someone fell and hurt their ankle. Then someone yelled ‘man down.’ I knew it wasn’t an ankle. I just ran there and started chest compressions ? I was on instinct.”
Nelson’s teammade Ed Gren, who was playing left field, was also there to help. It was his first time using CPR in an emergency.
“I wish I could have done more,” Gren said.
Rebecca Ridky of Sterling Heights, executive director for Michigan Senior Olympics, grabbed an AED kept on site at the park, hooked him up, and gave him a shock.
“It was a team effort,” Ridky said. “I’m so happy he’s doing well.”
After another round of CPR, they checked his pulse and found his heart was beating again.
“He came around, started talking, gave us his name, how old he was,” Warren said. “He had his bell rung, but he was talking before he was placed on a cart by EMS and hauled away ? it was unbelievable, seeing someone come back from that.”
“I was never so happy in my life,” Gren said.
Nelson survived ‘the widow maker,? a heart attack usually with a five percent chance of survival.
“I remember them on top of me, giving me oxygen,” he said. “They said they had to shock me. I thought, ‘Oh dear’ ? it was really something lucky.”
He was taken to St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, where Dr. James Caralis performed a five-bypass surgery the next morning.
“It’s almost spiritual how all these people were present at the right time,” said Dr. Caralis.
It was a miracle, said Kathy Nelson, John’s wife.
“This is so wonderful,” Kathy said. “I’m so happy everyone could make it.”
“I’m thankful to these people. The response, no one had to come running. To think they did, is just unreal,” John said. “If I wasn’t there, I would have been at the cottage in the middle of nowhere.”