Connie Schilling, an Edina resident, parked the car and entered Baker Road Life Time Fitness in Eden Prairie, but beyond that, she has no recollection.
That’s where Life Time staff and fellow members helped fill her in. Apparently Schilling had started out on the elliptical and was moving on to the next station when she collapsed.
Front Desk coordinator Mary Ann Hascall was quick to coordinate a response, alerting staff to contact emergency officials, clearing the area, grabbing the AED device and alerting operations manager Mike Ferguson to the emergency.
Ferguson, who has been a CPR instructor for the past 20 years, initiated use of the AED and CPR. This is the third time he’s had to use such emergency skills. Despite the experience, he noted that it’s extremely nerve-wracking.
“One of the benefits of an automated external defibrillator is the fact that it walks you through step by step,” said Ferguson.
Joining him in administering CPR was nurse Kim Haverstock, a Lifetime Fitness member, who happened to be at the club during the incident.
Haverstock was on the treadmill when she noticed an alarm going off, then saw Schilling on the floor off to the side. Schilling was blue and lifeless, recalled Haverstock, of Eden Prairie.
“We just kept doing CPR until the EMTs arrived,” Haverstock said.
“It was nice to see the process work for the patient.”, Haverstock said.
People ask Ferguson what it felt like, and the only word he can think of is “overwhelming.” He also said “We help others in time of need.”
Schilling “had absolutely no warning.”
It turns out her heart is fine, her cardiac arrest was not the result of heart disease or blocked arteries. Schilling is not predisposed to something like this. “It’s just that an electrical misfiring occurred.”
“These things can happen,” noted Schilling, who now considers it her mission to spread awareness about the issue. “Every day I give thanks for being here.”
“I’m living proof of how that was so important in saving my life that day,” said Schilling.
