Have you seen a 40-year-old red-haired hero in dark blue blazer and dress pants on the streets of New York City? If so, two children want to thank him for saving their dad's life.
On October 5, Toronto-native Jason Kroft, his wife, Marci, and their two kids, Harper, nine, and Sloan, seven, were strolling though Midtown Manhattan to get a tour of 30 Rockefeller Plaza from brother-in-law, Andrew Zeller. Kroft, 40, who had no history of heart disease, suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed to the sidewalk. His wife screamed for help as he stopped breathing. Suddenly, a stranger appeared and placed his briefcase under Kroft's head, tore open his shirt, and began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
While Kroft sustained a couple of broken ribs during CPR, Zeller tells Shine, "If he hadn't done CPR compression between cardiac arrest and the time the ambulance arrived, Jason would have severe brain damage." In the commotion after the paramedics arrived, the man disappeared into the crowd before the family could discover his identity. Kroft is recovering at St. Luke's Hospital on the Upper West Side and will eventually be moved back to Toronto for rehabilitation. Over the weekend, Zeller put up about 20 signs around Midtown and Times Square hoping the Good Samaritan would step forward. "We want to thank him," he says. "He's a hero."
When doctors began operating on Kroft, they discovered he had suffered two aneurisms caused by a rare congenital condition. After triple bypass surgery, the medical team had to cool his body to 30 degrees Celsius for 24 hours to prevent brain damage. Despite the harrowing treatment, Zeller reports his brother-in-law is "doing really well, It's amazing." He adds, "He is weak, but he's the same old Jason. He has a long road to recovery, but he'll be okay."
No comments:
Post a Comment