(Facebook/Connie Kelsey)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Listen to your Heart

Choiceland man recalls surviving a near-fatal heart attack in support of Heart Month

Feb 3, 2021 | 5:56 PM

On Jan. 16, Glen and Connie Kelsey left their Choiceland home to have a nice Saturday at their cottage in Candle Lake. They went snowshoeing and snowmobiling. Glen even snuck in some icefishing in the day.

They could have never guessed they’d be talking about a near-death experience to a cardiac arrest a few weeks later to bring attention to cardiovascular health during Heart Month in February.

As they settled in for that Saturday evening, Glen started to feel tired and nauseous and went into the bedroom to lay down. It started to become clear to Connie that her husband was having a heart attack.

“He was covered in sweat and holding his chest,” recalled Connie, who knew to give Glen two Aspirin 81mg to chew and to call 911. Connie said her mind was racing, and was second guessing herself about calling 911 in the first place, but those thoughts were quickly erased.

Candle Lake First Responder Debbie Hunter, who also happens to be a neighbour and a good friend to the Kelsey’s, quickly attended the scene and confirmed Connie’s concerns.

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Fellow Candle Lake First Responders Louise Tarasiuk and Karen Mack were also quick to follow. While they waited the hour it takes Parkland Ambulance to respond to Candle Lake from Prince Albert, the three used an automated external defibrillator (more commonly known as an AED) to reset Glen’s heart. Glen was awake and respondent by the time the ambulance arrived.

“I’m just so grateful. He would not be here if it wasn’t for you,” an emotional Connie said to Hunter, Tarasiuk and Mack on a Zoom press conference on Thursday.

By that following Monday, Glen was walking around “feeling like nothing had happened.” He’s gone snowshoeing with Connie behind their backyard and gone for walks.

“I must be feeling good enough to do that,” Glen said.

But there are still lingering effects from after the almost-fatal heart attack. Glen said he’s had trouble sleeping and has talked through his thoughts with Connie since the episode, to wrap his head around what happened.

“I wake up at about 3:30, 4 o’clock every morning, so maybe there’s a déjà vu thing going on there,” Glen said. “I have to able to talk about it, Connie and I do that lots.

“A near-death experience isn’t a thing you can take lightly, so that’s one thing I’m going to have to keep my head in the game on.”

Lyle Karasiuk, director of public affairs for Parkland Ambulance, said it’s been essential to have trained first responders in rural communities all across the Lakeland and Parkland areas for situations exactly like this one.

“It’s been incredible,” Karasiuk said. “These things happen, and we have trained first responders, in this case, that spring into action and have made a world of difference.”

For the first responders in the small communities, often times they are helping people they know.

Karen Mack said seeing a friendly face during a health crisis can be reassuring.

“When we know it’s our neighbours or are friends, it’s a privilege to be there in their deepest time of need,” Mack said. “When you walk through the door, they look at you, they know who you are and there is a degree of comfort that comes over their faces like ‘oh, Karen’s here, Debbie’s here, Louise is here—it’s all going to be okay.’”

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW