Heart attack victim thanks first responders

Glenn Hart suffered a heart attack in March and he found himself on the receiving end of the same critical care he's given to lots of other people. 

BOLIVIA, NC (WWAY) — A Brunswick County man who suffered a massive heart attack got the opportunity to thank the men who helped save his life.

“It was real odd because I went on a call later and that was the first time I had been on a CPR call since mine,” said Glenn Hart.

Hart suffered a heart attack in March and he found himself on the receiving end of the same critical care he’s given to lots of other people. 

In his 14 years as a firefighter, Hart has helped a number of people facing life-threatening situations and never imagined the roles would be reversed. 

Hart said, “To see somebody else laying there, even though I had been on fifty or sixty [calls]. That one was just real odd when you go back and you look at it and you think, ‘that’s you, that’s you.'”  

If it weren’t for Novant’s AirLink helicopter, Hart said his story would have ended a lot differently. 

Flight nurse Matt Riley said, “Our main function in this is to shorten the amount of time from either a scene or another hospital and bring them to definitive care in the quickest amount of time possible.” 

While these first responders said their number one priority is giving patients medical attention, they said that getting to see their patients again once they’ve fully recovered — is extremely rewarding. 

“At the time, I don’t think we really think about that kind of stuff — it’s more of just going back to what your training is and what you’ve done for years. After the call, that’s when you start to think about that kind of stuff, especially with a good outcome like that. I mean, it makes you feel good about yourself, ” said flight paramedic Adam Page.

All three men have worked together on a number of emergency calls before, but Hart’s personal medical crisis reminds them just how critical teamwork is to save a person’s life.