Dewaine
Craig
Arlington, Washington
In February 2004, with snow falling lightly,
Dewaine Craig set off for a day of cross-country skiing at
Stevens Pass, making the first tracks in the fresh snow. He
dismissed the burning sensation he felt in his chest as a
pinched nerve. But soon the pain became so intense that he
was forced to turn back and ask a passing skier for help.
Luckily, that skier was a physician, who offered him Nitro
tablets and called 911. By the time the ski patrol arrived
minutes later, Dewaine had collapsed with a total blockage
of his coronary artery, and Dr. Francis Reido was administering
CPR. Using its new portable AED, the ski patrol defibrillated
Dewaine several times while evacuating him to the helipad.
Airlift Northwest then transported him to Harborview, where
doctors implanted a cardiac stent and temporary pacemaker.
Despite his diminished heart function, Dewaine has returned
to teaching, working with scout leaders in Tyee District and
enjoying his five grandchildren (with one more on the way!)—all
with a renewed sense of appreciation. “Every day, I
try to give something back,” he reflects. “Every
person, every hour, every day.”
From Stevens Pass (near Skykomish, WA)
to Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, WA)
(More
patient and partner stories here)
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