Man reunites with doctors who saved his life after cardiac arrest, seizure
By Christine Stanwood
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NORMAN, Oklahoma (KOCO) — “God working in the world today” is how an Oklahoma man described his recovery as he united today with the doctors who saved his life.
Christopher Fennell came to Norman in April to see his son and go to dinner. As they were leaving the restaurant, Fennell fell to the ground because of a cardiac arrest that led to a brain seizure.
“I was basically dead, and they brought me back,” he said.
His son is now a junior at the University of Oklahoma and is studying pre-med. He knew exactly what to do to keep his father alive until paramedics arrived.
“The quick action of my son to call 911 and then hand the phone to my wife, who was in shock and started CPR was, I mean, I wouldn’t be here without that,” Fennell said.
Fennell was taken to Norman Regional Healthplex, where he stayed in the ICU for 10 days.
“Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest does not have a very good prognosis overall,” Dr. Archana Gautam said.
Fennell later was sent to rehab in Atlanta, where he was able to get additional treatment and fully recover.
“To see someone physically recover and cognitively recover after a cardiac arrest is rare,” Dr. Lane Tinsley said.
Fennell said without the quick medical attention from his son, paramedics and the doctors at Norman Regional, he wouldn’t have fully recovered.
“All of these things God put in place, put breadcrumbs down on the ground to get me here, for the great people here to continue my recovery, put me on the road to recovery and get me back in the position I am in today,” he said. “I am a walking miracle, but this is not a story about me. This is a story about how God works in the world today.”
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