Rose Marie Stallbaumer, Atchinson, KS – 60 at the time of event (August 18, 2007)
My SCA happened on August 18, 2007, while I was attending the wedding of my nephew in Marysville, Kansas. I had been asked by the wedding couple to be the lector at their wedding liturgy. The wedding ceremony began as scheduled. When it was time, I went to the lectern to do the reading. As I reached the last sentence the print blurred and I realized that I could not decipher the words. That was my last memory at the church. I awoke in the emergency room of the Marysville Hospital.
I was told that my last words were slurred. Then I collapsed, hitting my head on the edge of the podium and falling down a couple of steps. A friend who was seated near the rear of the church immediately dialed 9-1-1. My niece and the groom’s aunt, who are both nurses, were among the many who rushed to my aid. When they were unable to find a heartbeat, they began to give me CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). The pastor of the church and the presider for the wedding ceremony rushed to the church sacristy and returned with an AED (automated external defibrillator), which he quickly attached to my chest. It took two shocks to revive me. And the paramedics arrived in a few minutes to take me to the local emergency room.
I was then flown by helicopter to the Nebraska Heart Institute in Lincoln, Nebraska. They ran several tests on me. I had no history of heart problems and they found no heart damage or blockage. I felt fine! So what had happened? An EKG showed that I have Long QT Syndrome. I had also taken a decongestant and my potassium was low. I had a history of fainting, but I had always rebounded quickly until this time. I now have an implanted cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
Unlike many SCA survivors, I have no memory loss other than the time from the church to the emergency room. I attribute this to the speed with which those who came to my aid responded.
-SCA Survivor Registry submission