Jon Tota, 42, an active father of three with a passion for exercise, was on a 10-mile run through Central Park with his sister on March 1, training for a half marathon. For the last mile, he kicked it up a notch to finish strong — and that's when he collapsed.
Luckily, Jim Palmer, a physical therapist, was right behind Tota and, with the help of other bystanders, performed CPR immediately when he couldn't detect a pulse. An ambulance rushed Tota to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center's Emergency Department, where doctors continued CPR and successfully restarted blood circulation. Tota was still unresponsive despite this achievement, and was transferred to the hospital's cardiac intensive care unit. There, doctors used a cooling device to lower Tota's body temperature, allowing his brain to recover from the lack of oxygen. Four days after the cardiac arrest, "I was walking around like nothing ever happened," Tota recalls. "My recovery was so successful because I got immediate CPR care and Jim knew how to do it the right way."
Tota's experience exemplifies the importance of knowing CPR and being empowered to perform it in an emergency. The impact is tangible: While more than 90 percent of people who suffer cardiac arrests outside of the hospital die, CPR can double or even triple a person's chance of survival, according to the American Heart Association.
To boost the number of people trained to perform the maneuver, the association hosted the Hands-Only CPR Keep the Beat Challenge on June 4 in Times Square. The event corresponded with National CPR & Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Awareness Week.
"CPR is one of the most important things people can learn in this country and we want to train as many people as we can," said Helaine Baruch, senior vice president of the association's New York City chapter. "We want to empower people — you only need 15 to 20 minutes to learn it."
Instructors from Training For Life — a New York-based organization that is dedicated to training people in CPR and first aid — provided free trainings in hands-only CPR, a form of CPR that only utilizes chest compressions, during the 12-hour event. In addition, medical professionals, including physicians from Weill Cornell Medical College and celebrities such as Star Jones bested the Guinness World Record of 250 people for "Most People in CPR Relay" with 700 participants. An instructional music video, showing how hands-on CPR can be administered to the beat of the BeeGee's hit song "Stayin' Alive," played on a loop next to the stage.
"CPR was very easy to learn and it's something everyone should know because you never know when you might have to do it," said trainee Sharon Bond, of New York City, who had a heart attack four years ago and has since become a spokesperson for the American Heart Association.
Physical therapist Jim Palmer (left) receives a HeartSaver Award from Jon Tota (center), the man he performed CPR on after watching him collapse during a run in Central Park on March 1. Dr. Harsimran Singh (right), who was Tota's cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and continues to treat him, presented the award during an American Heart Association event on June 4 in Times Square.
Ray Smock, a tourist from Chicago, stumbled upon the event on his way to buy a cup of coffee. Learning CPR was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
"My instructor did a great job and I learned a lot," he said, "like how it's also important to train your family members in case it happens to you."
In addition to the trainings, the event honored nearly two dozen people, including Palmer, as recipients of the association's Heartsaver Awards, which are given to people who have attempted to save lives or are advocating to change lives. Palmer received the award from Tota and Dr. Harsimran Singh, the David S. Blumenthal Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, who was Tota's cardiologist in NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell's cardiac intensive care unit and has treated him since. All of them participated in the CPR Relay prior to the award presentation.
"It's certainly an honor to receive the Heartsaver award," Palmer said. "I wasn't expecting it, and it wasn't something that was necessary. It's just something that I did because I thought it was the right thing to do. I'm happy for Jon and his family. They are wonderful people and I am happy I was able to help them."
After his own experience, Tota said he'd be remiss if he didn't learn how to perform CPR.
"Everyone should learn CPR," he said. "At the end of the day, it not only saved my life, but is also the reason I had no brain damage and was able to walk and talk three days later."
Dr. Singh has since diagnosed Tota with a rare congenital condition where one of his coronary arteries arises from an unusual location from the aorta. This abnormality makes Tota more likely to face medical complications, including cardiac arrest. In April he underwent corrective open heart surgery, performed by Dr. Leonard Girardi, chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Weill Cornell. Tota has made a swift recovery — just seven weeks after his surgery, he's back at work and has even begun light jogging.
Tota's case offers three major lessons for everyone, said Dr. Singh, who is also director of the adult congenital heart disease program and an interventional cardiologist at Weill Cornell. Tota maintained a good diet, good body weight, exercised regularly and didn't engage in any unhealthy habits, like smoking.
"One's prior health choices make a difference when life throws you even a medical curve ball," Dr. Singh said. "I believe those choices helped speed Jon's recovery."
Second, people pursuing high-intensity exercise should consider having their heart evaluated by a doctor before starting activity. And most importantly, "high quality and early CPR is crucial," Dr. Singh said. "In Tota's instance it saved his life — and gave our hospital team the best chance to ensure his recovery."