Quick action by staff and students saves woman’s life

BY HOLLY RODRIGUEZ
Media and Public Relations Officer

Tom Roberts presents a gift to Susan Gilmore during a ceremony to recognize those whose quick action saved her life. Also present were President Ayers and Gilmore’s husband, Ron, and children, Andrew and Sallie. The president awarded citations to retired faculty member Don Pate, staff members Seth Hickerson, Alfred Johnson, Bobby Wood and Keith Mitchell, and students Jordan Braniff, ’08, Josh Anderson, ’08, and Taylor Yates, ’08, for their help in saving Gilmore’s life.

When Susan Gilmore went to her Pilates class at the Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness on her 49th birthday, she had no idea a heart condition would cause her  to leave the class on a gurney with a five percent chance of survival.

During the class, Gilmore collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest, a condition caused by a malfunction of the internal electrical system controlling the heartbeat rhythm, resulting in a stopped heartbeat. The condition has a 95 percent mortality rate and is the leading cause of natural death in the United States at 325,000 adult deaths per year. The only chance for survival is immediate attention.

Within minutes of Gilmore’s collapse, a student employee and two staff members began administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). A University police officer later used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to help restore her heartbeat.

“The first few moments were very frightening because I saw that she was having difficulty breathing,” says Josh Anderson, ’08, the student employee who was one of the first on the scene.

Gilmore was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital. Most victims suffering from her condition die within two minutes if CPR is not started during that time. In Gilmore’s case, the immediate action of UR’s first-response team began within that window, drastically increasing her chances of survival.  

“I had no warning—it hit me from behind because I’m in the best shape of my life,” Gilmore, a stay-at-home mom, says. “Thank God there were so many people there who knew what to do and were willing to step up to the plate.”

On Feb. 6 she returned to the Weinstein Center to attend a ceremony recognizing the people who played a key role in her rescue. President Edward Ayers presented citation awards to three students and five employees (one retired) who responded during the crisis. The American Heart Association recognized several groups involved in the rescue effort.

The event was part of a collaboration between the University and the American Heart Association for the “Go Red for Women” campaign, a national effort to raise awareness about the importance of women’s heart health. Following the ceremony, the front exterior of the Weinstein Center was illuminated with red lights, which burned throughout February. 

“This rescue effort could not have been successful without the diligence of everyone involved,” says Tom Roberts, director of the Weinstein Center. “Each step of the process was essential and very well executed.”