By Jake Finch
The Ventura County Star
SIMI, Calif. — Jorge Valle stays in shape. He eats right and exercises, playing in a racquetball league at his health club.
To say it took the 52-year-old from Simi Valley by surprise when he woke up in an ambulance June 8 after playing a game of racquetball is an understatement.
Valle, who had a severe heart attack after he finished playing at the Oakridge Athletic Club in Simi, said if it weren’t for the cardiopulmonary resuscitation and other emergency treatment administered by the club’s staff and fellow members, he wouldn’t be standing today.
“I really have to renew my (CPR) certificate,” Valle joked at a breakfast in his honor Friday. “I have to do a little bit of payback.”
The French toast breakfast, held at Ventura County Fire Station 41 in Simi, is becoming a regular event honoring the people involved in saving lives through CPR as well as the victims.
About 40 people, many of whom had a part in Valle’s care during and after his cardiac arrest, were there to celebrate his improved health.
A combination of immediate CPR and use of the club’s automated external defibrillator helped restart his heart. By the time paramedics arrived, Valle was breathing.
Members Gene Muoio and Michael Brasier assisted Oakridge staffer Brandi Marshall in the response.
“I noticed Jorge was slumped over and someone was rubbing his feet,” Muoio said. “I thought he was getting a massage, and then someone asked for help.”
Valle had no pulse and was not breathing, Muoio said.
“Brandi was immediately there with the (AED). They started doing CPR on Jorge. They asked me to take over while they operated the (AED).”
Muoio is CPR-certified and had used it one other time, when working in another health club as a personal trainer. In that case, an elderly man did not survive his heart attack, even though a thoracic surgeon was on scene to help. But at that time, AEDs were not required in health clubs.
“That’s why this is such a night and day difference” he said of the AED.
Katy Hadduck, who organizes the breakfasts, said 15 lives have been saved this year through CPR practices when a Ventura County fire unit and an ambulance company have been involved.
“More and more of the patients walk out of the hospital,” Hadduck said.
American Medical Response paramedic Amanda Tolle was one of the first responders at Oakridge when Valle had his heart attack. She said she and partner Chris Skippen immediately began working on Valle.
“A few minutes into it, we realized what had been done,” she said. “Not many people jump in to help. That people here jumped in to help out someone they didn’t know is above and beyond what people do these days.”
She said more people are being saved because of guidelines enacted by the state last year requiring more AED units in public places. “It’s amazing the difference we’re seeing,” she said.
Oakridge General Manager Teresa Robles said her club has had an AED for 10 years and now has two updated units. “It’s so worthwhile.”
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