Erin Thomas, a grade 3 teacher in Winnipeg, shares her story:

It was halfway through February 2017, and for days I’d found myself short of breath when walking short distances and climbing stairs.

I knew I should see my doctor, of course. But I was so busy…I’m sure you can relate.

Still, my symptoms persisted. My husband, Wilf, insisted I needed to see the doctor. I agreed to go the next morning.

February 16th is a day I will never forget. During my morning cup of tea, I felt a stabbing pain in my back. My doctor was concerned about my symptoms. So, he sent me to the St. Boniface Hospital Emergency Department for an electrocardiogram (EKG) test.

Little did I know, I could have been living the last moments of my life.

The EKG technologist, Denise, asked me to stay still for the test. When I couldn’t keep my arms at my sides she said, “I’m worried you’re having a heart attack, Erin.”

“It really hurts,” I gasped. “And that’s when I collapsed.”

I was having what some call a “widow-maker” heart attack. My aorta was 100% blocked, and my heart was fluttering rapidly. My kidneys shut down.

Denise called a hospital Code Blue: cardio-pulmonary arrest. Staff rushed in to save me and used an automatic CPR device to do chest compressions on me for almost an hour and a half.

After five days in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, I was taken off life support. If I was going to survive, I had to hold my own, and thankfully – I did.

On March 15th, almost one month after I’d been wheeled into St. Boniface Hospital’s Emergency Department, I was discharged.

I’m Erin Thomas, and this is my St. Boniface Hospital story. Donate to help patients like me. 

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