Heartwarming reunion | Cardiac arrest survivors meet first responders who saved their lives

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Six people who were once clinically dead are alive today thanks to a cutting-edge CPR method now being used by Anchorage Middletown Fire & EMS.

On Tuesday afternoon, those six survivors sat down for lunch and shook hands with the first responders who brought them back to life. For James Spurgeon, the reunion was deeply personal — and emotional.

In July 2023, Spurgeon collapsed at home from sudden cardiac arrest.

“I was just starting to have trouble breathing. Couldn’t catch my breath,” he recalled. “And with that, I was gone.”

His wife, Allison Spurgeon, witnessed the moment he lost consciousness.

“His eyes rolled back in his head,” she said. “He stopped breathing, and our son-in-law just started CPR immediately.”

Within minutes, paramedics from Anchorage Middletown Fire & EMS arrived — bringing with them a lifesaving tool called the EleGARD Patient Positioning System.

Spurgeon was the first patient in the department to be treated using the new technology.

The EleGARD device is part of what’s called the Neuroprotective CPR bundle. It works by gradually elevating the patient’s head and chest during CPR, which helps restore blood flow to the brain and increases the chance of neurologically intact survival.

“It definitely does wonders for brain activity after cardiac arrest,” said paramedic Erin Hudson. “We’ve seen a significant increase in patients walking out of the hospital with good outcomes.”

Since adopting the technology in September 2022, Anchorage Middletown Fire & EMS has reported 17 neurologically intact survivals from cardiac arrest — a dramatic increase compared to just one or two per year prior to the change.

According to the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES), only about 10.5% of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital survive — and even fewer retain full brain function. That’s why departments like AMFEMS are working to change the standard of care.

“This bundle of care has the potential to transform outcomes across the country,” said Dr. Keith Lurie, the inventor of the EleGARD system and a pioneer in resuscitation science. “Thanks to their hard work and willingness to adopt new technology, AMFEMS is leading the state and the nation.”

Spurgeon and his fellow survivors said they’re grateful to be alive — and hope more departments across the U.S. will adopt the EleGARD system.

“I think it’s going to save a lot more lives,” Spurgeon said. “It gives you a new point of view on life.”

For now, Anchorage Middletown is the only department in the region using the system — but that could soon change as more agencies see the results.