Nov 23, 2018 4 min read

April 22 is a day Barbara Barnhill will never forget.

On that day, the Chartiers Township resident saved her husband’s life. Not only that, Barbara has a recording of the incident, from the time he collapsed until after he was taken away in an ambulance.

“I’ve listened to it more than a few times,” said Barbara. “I cried. I was just shocked. When you go through the video, it seems so much different. Like, that wasn’t me. But, yes it was.”

Barbara, a certified registered nurse anesthetist at Canonsburg Hospital, is trained to act quickly in a medical emergency. Those instincts took over when her husband, Tom, fell as she recorded him preparing to fire up his replica front-engine dragster.

“I turned around to watch my husband drop in front of me,” she said. “It was a blessing because I was right there. I realized he was in trouble and called for the neighbors to call 911 as I started CPR. (My phone) recorded 11 minutes.”

After she determined that Tom wasn’t breathing and he had no pulse, Barbara performed chest compressions and rescue breaths. Neighbor Kim McAvoy, who also knows CPR, helped Barbara.

“I was blessed with a neighbor that was trained. She started compressions so I could give rescue breaths. I’m blessed to be in a wonderful neighborhood,” said Barbara, adding that McAvoy and other neighbors were recognized during a township meeting for their role in helping save Tom.

It took first responders only six minutes to arrive at their Grace Avenue home and connect Tom to a mechanical compressor. He was first taken to Canonsburg Hospital where he received electric shocks – defibrillation – to correct abnormal heart rhythms. A tube was placed in his airway and connected to a ventilator that breathed for him.

Then he was taken by medical helicopter to West Penn Hospital, where Dr. Yadavendra Rajawat – who works with Barbara at Canonsburg Hospital – found that the left anterior descending artery of his heart was completely occluded. This condition, called the “widow maker” is often fatal.

“This is a main artery that supplies most of the heart,” Rajawat explained. “If she didn’t start CPR, he would have died.”

Rajawat placed a stent to open the blockage and Tom started his recovery with a two-night stay in the hospital’s intensive care unit. During that time, his body temperature was kept at around 90 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent or lessen brain damage caused by cardiac arrest.

“In this kind of situation, we don’t know much brain injury they have. We use a cooling method, usually cool saline through an IV,” said Rajawat. “We kept him sedated and intubated, and after 24 to 48 hours, we weened him off to see the neurological response. This improves neurological function.”

Tom, who turned 74 on Friday, believes that everything lining up was a miracle that day – having Barb witness his heart attack, having the paramedics arrive so quickly, having a medical helicopter available immediately, having Rajawat on call at West Penn.

“I’ve seen miracles before. I see that kind of thing all of the time with animals,” said Tom, who with Barb, rescues animals that have been injured. “If Barb had not known what to do, I wouldn’t be here right now. Most people don’t survive, and those who do can have debilitating brain damage. Here I am, what I assume is perfect. That was God watching over me.”

Rajawat said the most important things that needed to happen to save Tom’s life happened. He received immediate CPR, his heart attack was identified, the stent to open the artery was placed within 90 minutes, and he was kept cool to combat neurological problems.

“The system works. Our system works, the 911 system works,” said Rajawat. “This is the best example for saving a life.”

While she slipped into her professional role as a caregiver to save her husband’s life, Barbara said she broke down after paramedics arrived.

“As soon as they took over, I became stupid,” she said. “In other words, I was in such shock…When my neighbor drove me to the hospital, I looked at her and said, ‘I think he’s dead.’ They were doing compressions. It’s hard to see that on a family member. You don’t know the future outcome. It’s a very traumatic thing for anyone to go through.”

The incident made Barbara appreciate not only her marriage, but also her community.

“It’s been a journey,” she said. “I just try to not get angry at things, try to find the good. I’m so grateful for where I live, who I live with. I’ve got a gosh-darn good township.”