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OFD credits Orrville gym owner’s quick actions with saving a life

PHOTO FROM ORRVILLE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION FACEBOOK PAGE

Orrville Fire Department credits the quick thinking and action of owner Thad Tillison and others in a workout group at Tillison Fitness Warehouse, Orrville, for saving a woman’s life by using an automated external defibrillator (AED) Dec. 28.

DGKN staff report

ORRVILLE  When a member of a “boot camp” group at Tillison Fitness Warehouse, 930 Penn Ave., Orrville, suddenly stopped breathing during a workout session just after 6 a.m. Dec. 28, owner Thad Tillison sprang into action, according to a post on the Orrville Firefighters Association Facebook page.

Orrville Fire Department EMS was dispatched to a call of a female not breathing and CPR was in progress, the post states.

When the woman entered sudden cardiac arrest during the workout, Tillison, with the assistance of several members of the boot camp group, began rescue efforts immediately. They called 911 and without instruction performed a rapid assessment, pulse check, and began CPR, the post states. Tillison Fitness has its own automated external defibrillator (AED) and it was rapidly deployed. After the device issued an automated “Shock advised,” Tillison delivered the shock, and seconds later the victim took a breath and became conscious. When EMS arrived, the patient was fully conscious and was taken to a local hospital.

Tillison told OFD that the life-saving action was a group effort of all the boot camp individuals on site that morning. He said he has had the AED for a few years and has never had to use before the Dec. 28 incident. Following the events of that day, he plans to add a second AED at the gym for even faster access to immediate life-saving measures throughout the facility.

“We encourage you whether at work, church, the gym or wherever you may be see if there is a AED available, and if not encourage said facility to invest in one,” the Orrville Firefighters Association post states. “You never know, in the blink of a eye, it may save the life of someone around you, or possibly your own.”

The Facebook post goes on to provide some statistics: Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death in the US, killing 300,000 annually. Every minute that passes post arrest chances of cardioversion decrease by 10 percent reducing chances of survival. If shock is delivered within first minute of sudden cardiac arrest survival rate is 90 percent. If a victim does not need a shock, the AED will not deliver/allow one.

 

7 Comments

  1. Roddrick Woods on December 29, 2022 at 8:48 pm

    Awesome people do awesome things!!!

  2. June DeHart-Gaines on December 29, 2022 at 10:23 pm

    I thank the Lord for giving each of you the mind to jump in and help! What a blessing ❤️

  3. Teresa Blackwell on December 30, 2022 at 12:11 am

    That is awesome news. Congratulations to Thad and the group for saving her life.
    God’s angels walk amongst us.

    • Jerry L. Edwards on December 30, 2022 at 8:39 am

      Great job Thad and crew! You are heroes.

    • Carrie on December 31, 2022 at 7:10 pm

      I can not say enough good things about Thad and the gym … great job guys on jumping into action

  4. Gregg Rising on December 30, 2022 at 12:47 pm

    Great work by all of those at the gym that AM. The quick action was huge and definately contributed to the good outcome for that young lady… Well Done!

  5. Pamela Crawford on December 30, 2022 at 4:33 pm

    Amazing ! Quick thinking for all those that helped ! You guys are awesome

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