Ted's Story
This is what Tina, an emergency department nurse, can’t help but think about when she recalls the miraculous story of Ted.
Ted, from Suring, was revived by Tina and the emergency care team at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls after nearly one hour with no heartbeat. He had been working earlier that day and suffered a heart attack outside of his truck.
Ted was taken to the hospital by ambulance – and when he arrived, he had already been in cardiac arrest for 26 minutes. After another 26 minutes of exhaustive life-saving efforts continued in the St. Clare Emergency Department – the outcome had seemed certain. The care team had done everything they could for Ted.
Everything…except give up.
On the 10th and last shock to Ted’s heart, it started beating again. For the next three hours, Tina and the team at St. Clare fought to keep him alive. Local EMS, the proximity of St. Clare as a federally designated critical access hospital and the relentless spirit of the emergency medical team at St. Clare saved Ted’s life in those critical moments. He was then transferred to St. Clare’s sister hospital, HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, for intensive care. Tina shared with a fellow nurse: “He’s pretty tough; I think he’ll make it.”
“Ten times, Teddy. You’re back to see us.”
One week later, Ted woke up to the sound of his doctor saying, “Ten times, Teddy. You’re back to see us.” He was surrounded by medical equipment and family members with no memory of what had happened. As those around him relayed the sequence of events, Ted started to grasp the gravity of his circumstances. With his kidney function hovering at just 15%, Ted wasn’t strong enough to undergo the procedure that would guide his next steps for treatment. At this time, the doctor told his wife “not to expect much” if he survived.
Despite the situation, Ted was determined to keep active. “I was walking a quarter mile three times a day in the hospital when they told me my kidneys were shutting down. I had figured out the distance by hospital ‘blocks’.”
With time, Ted’s kidney function improved, and he was able to move forward with the procedure and it was determined he needed a pacemaker to help regulate his heart rhythm moving forward.
After spending a total of 14 days in the St. Vincent ICU, Ted left the building with no lasting complications.
Walking Miracle
After 11 days at home, he began walking again. “I started walking by measuring one telephone pole at a time. It’s not flat where I live so I have some small hills to climb. I was right at a mile-and-a-half.”
After some time, Ted returned to St. Clare for an ultrasound. As he checked in, Ted smiled and said, “Tell Tina the Miracle Man is here.” Out came Tina proclaiming, “I knew it was you!” Emergency department colleagues were stunned to see Ted as healthy as he was.
“He is a walking testament to emergency medicine and miracles,” shared Tina.
“Thank you for caring enough to not quit on me.”
Currently, no two days are the same for Ted as the owner of a bowling alley, trucking company and repair shop. You may even recognize his voice as an announcer if you’re an avid truck pull attendee or derby goer in Oconto County. Ted is a longtime resident of Suring, and active member of the community.
When reflecting on his health journey, Ted shared: “When you’re driving on the road at night, sometimes thoughts come back about the experience. It makes you pause and look at things a lot differently. I do a lot of hunting with my boy, and wow – it always goes back to the same thought, ‘“Thank you to Tina, the bystanders, rescue squads, St. Clare Emergency Department and St. Vincent ICU team. Thank you for caring enough to not quit on me.”’
In a largely rural community like Oconto County, having access to immediate, high-quality emergency care close to home makes all the difference. That’s something St. Clare proudly provides every day.
“Someday, I will have to realize that I am 66 years old and slow down.”
But, today isn’t that day.