Two AtlantiCare workers were in the right place at the right time Friday night in Brigantine to save a life.
Frank DeAngelis, 83, left AtlantiCare Mainland Regional Hospital on Wednesday after having a life-changing moment. The Brigantine resident was out to dinner with his wife when he suffered a medical emergency.
“The last thing I remember actually was my friends told me that I was falling to the side,” DeAngelis says.
The man was in cardiac arrest. But luckily seated behind him was Brandi Gunning and Christina Muhlbaier. They both work in cardiology at AtlantiCare Mainland Regional.
“I saw the lean and then I just ran. I knew something was wrong,” says Gunning.
The two women jumped into action and performed CPR.
“I was just kind of like, ‘Get a pulse,’ is what I kept saying. We have to just get a pulse back,” says Muhlbaier.
“It might sound corny, but I asked God and I said, ‘Please don’t. We can’t lose him. Not here today, not on my watch,’” says Gunning.
The women were able to get DeAngelis’s heart pumping before paramedics arrived.
DeAngelis spent five days in the hospital and is expected to be OK. He says he remains forever grateful to the two women.
“It’s amazing the professionalism of these two guardian angels of mine. They were fabulous and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today,” DeAngelis says.
Everyone says that this shows the importance of learning how to perform CPR or call for help.
“Please call 911 if you feel it is an emergency. Don’t hesitate,” DeAngelis says.
He says that he hopes to treat both women to dinner sometime soon.