Daughter Saves Dad's Life With CPR After Cardiac Arrest

BY HANNAH FALCON, Spring Fire Department

SPRING, TX — Gene Foussaider is alive today thanks to the quick actions of his daughter Ashley, who performed CPR when he collapsed in their kitchen.

October 23 started out like any other day for Foussadier. After a morning jog, the 53-year-old father was in the kitchen with his wife when he suddenly collapsed due to cardiac arrest.

“I had just gotten back from my run,” said Foussadier. “I was conversing with my wife about how good the run was and there was no sign of anything – I actually felt good – and basically during the conversation I just fell.”

Luckily, his daughter Ashley is a nurse and knew exactly what to do until the EMTs from Spring Fire Station 75, only a couple blocks away, arrived. Foussadier’s daughter performed immediate CPR, which ultimately saved his life.

Only 10 percent of out-of-hosptial cardiac arrest victims survive, but if immediate bystander CPR is performed that statistic increases to 45 percent, according to Spring Firefighter and EMT John Shultz, who is on the crew who responded to the 9-1-1 call.

“Because [his daughter] was able to immediately start compressions, she was able to keep the blood flowing instead of having to wait,” said Shultz.

An otherwise healthy man, Foussadier had a quadruple bypass surgery in 2010 but has since participated in many athletic activities, including triathlons. His cardiac arrest came with no warning signs.

“I think [cardiac arrest] will hit anybody, not just people who have heart issues, but healthy people too,” said Foussadier. “Everyone needs to realize that no matter how healthy you are, things can happen.”

Although firefighters and EMTs have many tools and medications to help patients in cardiac arrest, every second counts, according to Spring Firefighter and EMT David Paige, who responded to the 9-1-1 call along with Shultz. Every minute that the brain goes without oxygen, the patient’s chance of survival decreases 10 percent.

“That chain of survival, all the links have to be in place for it work and the biggest one is that immediate CPR, which is what [the daughter] did,” said Paige. “If everybody knows CPR and can do it properly and successfully, the mortality rate is going to go down on cardiac arrest.”

Foussadier and Spring Fire Department are encouraging everyone to take a CPR certification class.

“I think a lot of people take it for granted that they’ll never come across an experience where they’ll have to use it, so nobody really takes it seriously,” said Foussadier. “If they have the CPR knowledge and never have to use it that’s great, but there’s always that one time where you’re going to need it and it makes a world of difference.”

CPR/AED classes are offered at Spring Fire Department’s Administration Building on Louetta Road. The next class is Jan. 5 at 8 a.m., anyone can register here: https://www.springfd.org/event/heartsaver-first-aid-cpr-aed-course-1-5/ or find other upcoming classes at https://www.springfd.org/events

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Image: Spring FD

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