Photos Courtesy of American Heart Association
It was the fourth quarter with 31 seconds left in the game when Waseca High School head football coach, Brad Wendland, headed to the water cooler. It was a hot September night in 2021, and the Bluejays were about to close in on a hard fought victory after a close game. When Wendland walked back to sideline, he felt a “rush” to the head and was suddenly lightheaded. He took a knee to let it pass, but instead, he collapsed.
Everyone around Wendland watched as he fell, now lying motionless on the ground, including his son, who was a senior on the team. The team trainer began CPR immediately, while another trainer grabbed the AED. Both trainers, along with a nurse from the stands, performed lifesaving measures on Wendland that night.
“After one shock from the AED, I came back to life,” Wendland said. “I was gone for about four minutes. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time with people around me who could help. If I would have went into sudden cardiac arrest an hour later, my wife or son would’ve found me dead in the morning.”
Doctors believe that a prolapsed mitral valve is what caused Wendland’s cardiac arrest. He now has an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) in his chest to restart his heart in case it ever happens again.
Brad now works with other football coaches to get them affordable AEDs. He says he thinks about his cardiac arrest every day.
“I can’t stress enough how essential it is to know CPR and how to use an AED,” Wendland said. “The chances of a cardiac arrest happening around you are higher than you think.”
According to the American Heart Association, seven in ten people in America say they feel powerless to act in the face of a cardiac emergency. As a result, less than half of all people who need this lifesaving skill receive CPR from bystanders before professional help arrives.
The American Heart Association is challenging everyone to join the Nation of Lifesavers™ and commit to make CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) awareness and education a permanent fixture in all communities across the country. The goal of the campaign is to turn bystanders into lifesavers, so that in the time of cardiac emergency anyone, anywhere is prepared and empowered to become a vital link in the chain of survival and provide CPR.
Learn more about the Nation of Lifesavers™ at heart.org/nation.
Wendland will be sharing his story at the 2023 Twin Cities Heart Ball on Saturday, Nov. 4, at U.S. Bank Stadium. You can learn more or register at tcheartball.org
