Husband's quick CPR saves 42 y.o. mom after ‘massive heart attack': Healthy You
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — When it comes to cardiac health, things like heart attacks and cardiac arrest can happen without warning.
December 10 started out like any other day for Michelle Gresham.
'I was swimming at the Y the Saturday before. I had a Christmas party at work the Saturday before,' Gresham said. 'I had no signs or symptoms at all.'
But that night, Gresham felt nauseous, passing out. For the 42-year-old mother, everything changed.
'I was just kind of in shock about being 42 years old and just having a massive heart attack. It's unheard of,' Gresham said. 'The only thing they could tell me was smoking, so don't smoke.'
Her husband leaped into action with CPR, getting Gresham to United Regional, where Cath Lab Director and Interventional Cardiologist Dr. Venkat Thota says it was all hands on deck.
'There's no words to describe knowing that your husband saved your life,' Gresham said.
'When the patient calls 911, the EMT knows how to contact a, how to send the EKG from the field,' Thota explained. 'The ER physician contacts the cath lab; we come to the ER within 20 to 25 minutes because there is a window of opportunity to open the vessel.'
In that window, Gresham suffered cardiogenic shock, prompting Thota to utilize a small catheter called the Impella.
'We are fortunate we have the latest technology in United Regional,' Thota said. 'We use this pump to do the angioplasty to open the blood vessels. Literally, this pump will always help in the cardiogenic shock.'
'If I had to be sent somewhere else, I wouldn't be here,' Gresham said. 'So thank goodness they have some devices like the Impella.'
Gresham added that not only are the devices top-notch, but the care is, too.
'One of the nurses that took care of me during the two surgeries was Heather,' Gresham said. 'She came to see me in recovery, and my family was in tears just because of the care that she had provided for me.'
Thanks to her husband's quick thinking and the team's empathy…
'Get your CPR license,' she said. 'Know how to do CPR. It's imperative.'
…Gresham is getting stronger day by day.
According to Thota, the most common symptoms to look out for are excruciating chest pains and a sudden onset of shortness of breath, especially in women. In cases like Gresham's, however, acting fast with CPR and dialing 911 can be lifesaving.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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