Chris

Cardiac arrest

Early morning run becomes a race to save a life

Chris had always led an active, healthy life. When he went out early one morning for a run in Ohakune, little did he know he would return after the 5km and have a heart event. Thanks to the quick action of his wife and paramedics, he lives to tell the story.

Now in his early 60s, Chris lives in Wellington with his wife and Border Collie. Before the heart event, he always enjoyed an active family life with two fitness-focused daughters who are also nurses, and weekend family walks were a cherished ritual. Chris had been a keen runner since leaving school more than 40 years ago.

Reflecting on those days, Chris recalls, “I had no reason to think there was anything wrong with my heart. I was active, healthy, and had been that way all my life. Thankfully, I’d never had any health hiccups before all this – I had never even been in hospital,” he says. “So, it’s fair to say this was a big surprise.”

Just weeks before his heart event, he’d travelled to the UK for his mother’s funeral.

“My parents sadly died within about six months of each other,” he says, “We couldn’t make it to my dad’s funeral because it was too close to mums to get back, so we decided to live stream in from somewhere remote, and randomly chose Ohakune.

“It was around June, and we weren’t sure if we would even have any Wi-fi, but in the end, we did.”

A quiet trip becomes an unexpected warning

It was, for all intents and purposes, supposed to be a short quiet stay in Ohakune. While they were there, Chris felt a bit “off” but put it down to fatigue from travel and grief.

“I just felt a bit groggy,” he says, “I even avoided the spa bath in the BnB – which is unlike me – but I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

On a morning run, Chris’s energy started to dip – something unusual for him. He noticed mild shoulder discomfort and grogginess but managed to finish his 5km and return to the Airbnb.

“I walked the last couple of hundred metres to the house and tried to go in quietly as my wife Sue was still asleep.”

Yet, as he unlocked the door, he began feeling worse and called up to Sue.

“I just said something like, ‘I’m back’, you know, and she woke up,” he says. “Then I just kind of gracefully collapsed to the floor. I don’t even remember it really, but she told me that she looked over the mezzanine balcony and saw me lying there on the floor.”

Acting quickly, Sue called an ambulance and then, with guidance, began CPR.

“She was incredible,” Chris says of his wife’s quick actions. “I obviously didn’t see any of it, but Sue didn’t hesitate for a moment. She called for help, performed CPR, and kept me going. I honestly don’t think I’d be here without her.”

A race against time

Struggling to locate the address of the house, Sue had to leave Chris alone to run outside in her pyjamas and find the street and number.

Luckily, she managed to find it quickly and local ambulance and fire volunteers arrived within minutes, continuing CPR for nearly 40 minutes and using a defibrillator multiple times to restart Chris’s heart.

“I had no idea at the time how close I came to not making it,” Chris says. “It wasn’t until later that I realised the survival rate for someone in my position is less than ten percent. I was in oxygen debt for 40 minutes and it was only once they started to use the AED that they were able to get my heart going again.”

From Ohakune, Chris was stabilised and airlifted to Wellington, where he was hospitalised and diagnosed with a heart attack caused by a fully blocked left circumflex artery, which had in turn caused a cardiac arrest.

After an emergency stent procedure, Chris’s other arteries showed only minimal blockages - possibly thanks to his lifetime commitment to fitness. Chris spent almost ten days in recovery on the cardiac ward with Sue and his daughters by his side.

Chris and his wife, Sue, with members of the Ohakune Volunteer Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service.

Rehabilitation and the road to recovery

Around six weeks after the event, Chris began rehabilitation through Heartworks, a cardiac rehab programme where his fitness helped him progress quickly.

“The rehab has been brilliant,” he says. “It’s basically a program of rehabilitation where you're doing aerobic work and resistance training and circuits. It has been excellent to meet other heart patients on their roads to recovery.”

CPR had caused several broken and displaced ribs, making early recovery painful and movement challenging.

“Those first few weeks were tough,” he recalls. “Moving, sneezing, breathing - it all hurt. But I kept going, and Sue was there every step of the way.”

Family history suggested genetic risk factors, as Chris’s father and grandfather had also dealt with heart issues. Though it was frustrating for him to reconcile this with his previously healthy lifestyle, he acknowledges, “Sometimes, there’s only so much you can do. Genetics play a big role.”

Mentally, the experience had a deep impact. Although some mild brain damage, caused by the hypoxia, affected his short-term memory, counselling provided a way to process his feelings, with Sue’s support. His new granddaughter and the love of his family became all the more precious, and music that hadn’t affected him before now brought him to tears.

“I’m finding myself more emotional these days,” Chris says. “Music that wouldn’t have made me blink brought me to tears. I feel incredibly grateful to still be here, with my family.”
 

Taking life one day at a time

Despite the journey, Chris is determined to embrace this “second innings” at life. He’s gradually regaining confidence to go out alone and drive, has taken up cycling again to rebuild his cardio fitness, and rediscovered his passion for painting, which brings him a sense of calm and mindfulness.

Chris is deeply thankful for the kindness of those who helped during his emergency.

He's even arranged to thank the emergency responders who saved him, knowing they seldom get to see the results of their efforts.

“It’s easy to take life for granted until something like this happens,” he reflects. “Those responders, they saved me. I want them to know they made a difference.”

For others on a similar path, Chris encourages seeking help, valuing loved ones, and making use of available resources, including counselling.

“Don’t be afraid to lean on the people around you,” he advises. “We don’t get through something like this alone.”

He’s hopeful his story can inspire others to listen to their bodies, seek support, and appreciate every moment. Chris believes that you should live life to the full and take every opportunity. For Chris, every day with his family and every walk with his Border Collie now feels like a gift.