Sophia Jaromay, Antioch, CA – 20 at time of event (2008)
Sophia loved her work. She hung out with her work mates, and made good money. Not any more. The happy 20-year-old was enjoying an impromptu party at a colleague's apartment after work late one evening when everything suddenly changed. Sophia only knows what they’ve told her. And she doesn’t really want to know at all.
“I was completely healthy. I was pretty physically fit. There was nothing wrong with me!” Sophia exclaimed. “I was sitting on the couch with my friend (Amanda), and I suddenly tried to get up. I fell back down and told everyone that I felt really dizzy,” Sophia explains. “They thought I was probably drunk, and said ‘Oh, okay, whatever...’ and then I fell over and starting shaking.”
Amanda noticed Sophia’s eyes had rolled back and there was foam at her mouth. They realized this was no prank, nor was it likely to be inebriation. Sophia was turning blue, she had tremors and was unresponsive. They put her on the floor and tried to lift her head, but her body was stiff. Someone called 9-1-1. But that’s all they knew to do! No one knew CPR.
When the Hayward Fire Department EMTs arrived they immediately thought Sophia was either drunk or having a seizure. The fire chief asked everyone to leave the room, when one of the paramedics announced that Sophia didn’t have a pulse. They began the ACLS protocol including CPR and defibrillation. But Sophia’s heart wouldn’t respond. Eventually they decided to move her to the ambulance, stopping at each stair landing to resume CPR.
“They had to shock me about thirty times,”Sophia said. She went on to say that her heartbeat failed many times in the hospital as well. “I believe I was shocked sixty to seventy times in total!” Sophia said in wonder.
“I was the youngest person in ICU, but [also] in the most critical condition. My family kept hearing ‘Code Blue in ICU’ and they were told there was no chance I could make it. Or that I would be brain dead.” Obviously this was not the case and she awoke several days later.
Unfortunately, all the tests and investigations could not determine the cause of Sophia’s cardiac arrest. After a week or so, she was transferred to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and received an ICD to protect her from any future abnormal arrhythmia events. This state of the art device communicates via the internet to her cardiologist’s office every week. In fact it happens automatically on Monday mornings at 7am. If she isn’t in her room at that time the monitor flashes white to remind her that the ICD has not been interrogated. This caused some consternation with her family, until she explained that when it flashes RED they should worry.
“I cherish my family so much more [now]. I realized who is more important,” Sophia stated.
-Jeremy Whitehead