STARS air ambulance save the life of a former lottery grand prize winner | 24CA News
A former STARS Air Ambulance Lottery grand prize winner has seen firsthand how the life-saving group’s funds are spent, after he went from supporter to affected person earlier this 12 months.
Neil Lund and his spouse Mona Cardinal have bought STARS lottery tickets for 25 years and in 2014, they received a Calgary dream house value $1.3 million.
Neil Lund wanting on the poster of the STARS Air Ambulance Calgary dream house value $1.3 million he and his spouse Mona Cardinal received in 2014.
Global News
Lund says they by no means missed a 12 months since 2008 when shopping for tickets, as a result of sometime he “might need” medical assist from the group.
That day got here on Jan. 26, 2023.
“We just came back from uptown,” says Lund, “And I went in (to the garage) and sat down and (Mona) was out shoveling snow because I couldn’t, and about 10 minutes after I sat down, that’s when the heart problems started.”
Cardinal says Lund began to yell for her.
“He said ‘Mona, I don’t feel good,’ so I ran into the garage to see what was going on and by that time he had fallen over,” Cardinal mentioned. “I got him back up and went out to the truck to call 911.”
When paramedics arrived at their Didsbury house, about 60 kilometres north of Calgary, Cardinal says Neil’s heartbeat was simply 22 beats per minute. A standard, wholesome resting coronary heart charge for an grownup is 60 to 100.
“They loaded him in the ambulance, got him all hooked up and everything and they come back and said to me that he was stable, so they were going to try and get him to Calgary by ambulance.”
Neil Lund wanting on the poster of the STARS Air Ambulance Calgary dream house value $1.3 million he and his spouse Mona Cardinal received in 2014.
Global News
Cardinal recollects paramedics calling moments after leaving to inform her that her husband had handed out twice on the best way to Calgary, forcing paramedics to show round and take Lund to the Didsbury hospital.
“They got him into emergency and got Dr. Smith, our doctor was on call, and she got the nurses going with him, getting him stable and she stepped out (into the hallway) and called STARS,” mentioned Cardinal.
Lund was airlifted from the Didsbury District Health Services to Foothills Hospital in Calgary with STARS flight paramedic Greg Barton on board.
“We hooked him up to our critical care monitor and trialed some pacing on him just to make sure that we could capture and increase his heartbeat electrically as required,” Barton mentioned.
That would show to be a crucial transfer by the workforce, with Lund shedding important indicators on the best way to the hospital.
“His heart temporarily stopped and because we had that monitor hooked up we were able to manage it electrically until the physician at the hospital could do more invasive techniques and get him stabilized,” the paramedic mentioned.
Barton recalled through the flight when Lund talked about that he was a earlier winner of the STARS lottery and the way every thing has now come full circle.
The 21-year paramedic mentioned he’s by no means skilled anybody who’s been in Lund’s place whereas on the job.
“There are lottery winners to a smaller extent, but not like this where they’ve won the grand prize and then end up as a critical patient,” he says.
According to Cardinal, Lund was affected by a coronary heart blockage, however is anticipated to make a full restoration.
It’s been six weeks because the incident and two issues in Lund’s life are actually sure: he’ll all the time want a pacemaker and the couple will all the time be loyal purchasers of a STARS lottery ticket.
“They save lives a lot faster than people think and a lot of people don’t think they’ll ever need it, but someday they might.”
Read extra:
Chance reunion sees Alberta lady give COVID-19 vaccine to STARS Air Ambulance nurse who saved her life
The 2023 STARS Lottery is on sale proper now. The early hen draw takes place this Friday, and the ultimate deadline is March 22. The draw occurs April 5.
To buy your tickets now go to starslottery.ca or name 1-855-STARS 68 (1-855-782-7768).
Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service has been offering specialised emergency care and transportation for critically in poor health and injured sufferers throughout the Prairies because the 1985.
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