CPR truly does save lives; Greg Fink shares his personal experience

Beginning CPR right away whenever someone goes unconscious and has no pulse is so important for all ages to know and understand. Greg Fink of Harpers Ferry is living proof of just how important immediate CPR is.

Greg and his young neighbor, Trevor Peiffer, age 13, have enjoyed playing ping pong and basketball together the past few years. October 1 of last year, Trevor had gotten home from school and decided to see what Greg was up to. Greg was outside and invited him to play some ping pong. As they were playing a game, Greg suddenly stopped and stared at Trevor, then collapsed. Trevor yelled for Greg’s wife, Lori, to come and told her he was running home to get his mom, Julie, who is a nurse. Julie and Trevor returned right away and Julie began CPR as Trevor called 911.

“I was so proud of Trevor, to get on the phone and give the dispatcher all of the necessary information for the ambulance while I continued CPR,” states Julie Peiffer, RN, surgery nurse at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. “As I was doing compressions, I just kept praying over Greg. One of the Harpers Ferry ambulance crew members came directly to the house and we took turns doing compressions as we waited for the ambulance, which was on its way back from being repaired.

“As soon as the EMTs arrived with the defibrillator, we hooked him up. This particular defibrillator showed the rhythm on the screen. It was V-fib, which is a disordered electrical rhythm as the ventricles of the heart just quiver uselessly, instead of contract. CPR was providing the contractions - in essence, heartbeats. We shocked him and continued CPR, shocking him an additional three to four times. The Waukon ambulance arrived to take Greg to Veterans Memorial Hospital. Right before we loaded him, we analyzed one more time, and he had a good rhythm… his heart was beating!”

Harpers Ferry Rescue Service, with the help of Veterans Memorial Hospital paramedics on board, transported Greg to the hospital. He was then flown out to Gundersen Health in LaCrosse, WI, where he underwent triple bypass surgery.

“I don’t remember anything after I collapsed, but earlier that day, I was talking with my daughter about this pain I had in my left shoulder,” explains Greg. “I am always active, doing a variety of jobs and just thought I was sore, but looking back, we both feel guilty that I didn’t go in to get checked out.”

Greg had a 100% blockage, a “widow maker,” and would have been dead.  Thanks to Trevor’s quick response and effective CPR, he is alive today.

“I have always considered myself pretty much a health advocate… I eat right, exercise, take care of myself, then this happens, so it was tough to understand. But all of my medical professionals told me it was all those things that I have done that kept me alive,” continues Greg. “I have spent my whole life taking care of people, working at Wyalusing Academy and the Opportunity Center, both in Prairie du Chien. I have also been working as a direct Care Specialist for TASC, Inc., in Waukon since 2011. My daughter, Alicia, is soon to graduate with her RN degree from NICC and my daughter, Tara, soon to graduate from Allen Hospital with her master’s degree as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (MSN-PMHNP). Our whole family is help-oriented. The help my good friend, Trevor, gave me that day was incredible. I want to nominate him for a hero award!”

“My wife has always mentioned that she thought I had a sleeping disorder, so I had a sleep study done which showed I had serious sleep apnea,” shared Greg. “I am now on a CPAP machine and that is working out very well. I want to encourage anyone having similar pain to get to the closest ER right away, because you never know. I also recommend having a sleep study because sleep apnea can cause these heart issues as well. I do have some functional disabilities following this event as far my ability to think, but it continues to improve. I am 68, so maybe it is time to retire. I am just so thankful to be here, thanks to Trevor, and I would also like to thank everyone, including the Harpers Ferry Rescue Squad, for their lifesaving efforts.”

Jason McGeough, a volunteer on the Harpers Ferry Rescue Squad, states, “Trevor did everything right. We were all very proud of him. He got everything headed in the right direction right away, and Julie knew just what to do. When I arrived, I was able to give Julie a break with compressions. Leah and Bruce Benzing picked up the defibrillator from the fire station and I had called for paramedic service from Waukon right away so we could get advanced life support in route. I have been on the ambulance service for 17 years and being able to see CPR turn out so well is quite rewarding.”

“When Greg arrived home from the hospital, he invited us over,” adds Julie. “To Trevor and myself, just seeing him was enough thanks, they gave Trevor a wooden ‘hero’ plaque that Greg wrote his favorite quote on the back.  That quote is, ‘With every adversity, there is a seed of equivalent or greater benefit.’ Greg, Lori and their daughters also gave him a cross necklace and myself a necklace with a heart rhythm on it, each engraved with the date on the back and Trevor’s with the word ‘HERO’.”

Greg completed the Cardiac Rehab program at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon following his surgery and learned many good nutrition habits from the hospital’s dietitian.

“Everything just fell into place that day. Greg could have dropped over anywhere, anytime. Trevor could have gone over later and found his friend after it was too late. The timing was a miracle,” concludes Julie. “I have been a nurse for 35 years and have been in on some saves when doing CPR in the ER and ICU, but the defibrillator and medications were right there. It was such a blessing that it all worked out so well. It just proves that CPR does save lives!”