Wife Saves Husband's Life with CPR, Now Advocates for Community Education

John and Mariah Dalsing had been renovating a home on family property in Anderson County for nearly five months before they were able to finally move in and stay the night with their three kids. 

The first morning in the home as a family, John had some chest pain. John had a history of heart issues, so Mariah gave him aspirin and sat with him until his pain started to subside. He told Mariah to go outside on their deck before making breakfast because it was a beautiful morning. Mariah says, “It was a God thing.” 

When Mariah came back inside John was breathing odd, his body rigid and he was turning purple. 

“I was determined that he was not going to die that day,” said Mariah.

She pulled John off the bed and got him on the floor where she started performing CPR while calling 911 and then family to come help with the kids. She continued CPR until Anderson County EMS arrived and took over. EMS used the LUCAS device, a mechanical chest compression system that helps first responders perform CPR on patients in cardiac arrest. 

“We had to work on him for awhile but were finally able to get a pulse and sustain it, but he was still unresponsive,” said Troy Armstrong, director of EMS at Anderson County Hospital. “We transported him to Anderson County Hospital to stabilize him before life-flighting him to Saint Luke’s Hospital.”

John’s heart was stable, but he still wasn’t breathing on his own.  

Despite going into sudden cardiac arrest, he suffered no brain or heart damage. The CPR provided by his wife kept blood flowing to his vital organs. 

In the hospital, John underwent a procedure to remove a blood clot and insert a small defibrillator in his chest to detect and stop irregular heartbeats. He was able to go home eight days later.

“It’s overwhelming and scary,” said John. “They said that I was pretty much gone when my wife started CPR and she brought me back. If she hadn’t started CPR, I know I wouldn’t be here.”

“We’re in a rural community and residents are spread out,” said Troy. “Response times may be a bit longer depending on where people live. There is a 10% decrease in survivability for every minute that goes by that someone doesn't receive CPR. That’s why knowing CPR and starting it immediately saves lives.”

Mariah has made it her mission to spread that important message in the community. 

“If you have the opportunity, take CPR training,” said Mariah. “It is one of those things you never think you will need, but it’s knowledge that is only going to help someone.”

Mariah credits the local resources for her husband’s survival. 

“Without those resources, lives that could be saved might be lost,” she said. “If you don’t have trained EMS and the right people in the right profession, you won’t have the same results we had with John. That’s a huge part of why he is here.”

“I just want to thank all of the EMS and doctors and everyone else that was involved saving my life,” said John. 

Since John’s recovery, Mariah and the first responders who saved John’s life were recognized by Zoll, the company that manufactures the defibrillators used by Anderson County EMS, during their annual EMS holiday celebration. Anderson County EMS donated funds for the school where Mariah works to purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED), and the EMS team provided CPR and AED training for teachers and staff. 

“Education is key to helping save lives,” said Troy. 

The classes Anderson County EMS provides include first aid, Stop the Bleed®, AED utilization, and CPR for all ages. 

“First responders are not always the ones who are going to save someone’s life,” said Troy. “It’s going to be the people who are there first—the family, the bystanders. Education is important so that people in the community, whether at their home, on their farmland, or in town, can feel more comfortable stepping up and stepping in to help if an incident like this occurs.” 

If you are interested in more education, becoming certified, scheduling a class, or learning about volunteering, reach out to Sherry Schmitz, Lead EMS at Anderson County, at slee@saintlukeskc.org.