Lifesaving workout: Wayne County woman returns to Orrville gym where members revived her
ORRVILLE − Linda Thompson didn’t have any health issues since she started working out at Tillison Fitness Warehouse.
Despite feeling "a little off" on Dec. 28, Thompson ignored her tiredness and the achiness in her left arm and decided to hit the gym to work it out.
“I never had any trouble, just normal aches and pains,” Thompson said.
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Thompson's decision to go to the gym put her in the right place at the right time when she suddenly suffered a near fatal cardiac arrest.
Luckily, her boot camp group at Tillison's and an automated external defibrillator (AED) device the gym had previously purchased were on hand to save her life.
Quick action, AED saves Linda Thompson's life at Orrville gym
An AED is a portable device that is used to revive someone from sudden cardiac arrest. The cost can range from $1,500 to $3,500, said gym owner Thad Tillison.
It can be an expensive addition to a gym, and it’s definitely lifesaving.
Thompson was getting ready to take her turn on the sled push when she felt pain in her left arm and couldn’t catch her breath.
"I felt I couldn’t do what I usually do, my mouth felt very dry and felt I couldn’t go,” Thompson said.
She knew she was going to pass out so she bent her knees to avoid falling flat. Then, everything went fuzzy.
In no time, the whole team came to her aid.
Melinda Budd, who has CPR experience, was the closest to Thompson and rushed to check her pulse in different areas. She couldn't find one.
That’s when Ryan McAllister stepped in to perform CPR.
McAllister was finishing his sled push when he saw the group gathering around Thompson. When he heard Budd saying there was no pulse, he knew exactly what to do.
“I was a volunteer firefighter with Wooster Township 10 years ago, so I’ve been in similar incidents before,” he said.
While Tillison called 911, two other members who knew the gym had an AED device rushed to get it.
Thompson’s heart rhythm was back after taking the first electrical shock. She regained consciousness as emergency crews arrived and took her to Aultman Orrville Hospital.
Survivor donates money for a second AED at Tillison gym
Thompson's doctors sent her to surgery where she had a heart catheterization.
"They found no blockage and nothing wrong with my heart,” she said.
But to avoid a similar experience, the doctors decided to put a pacemaker defibrillator in her heart.
“Because if it happened again, I might not be at the right place at the right time,” quipped Thompson.
About four days after, Thompson went home and is gradually getting back to her old lifestyle. The doctor advised her not to do anything exhausting, so when she's at the gym, she walks on the treadmill.
“I feel good and ready to get back,” she said.
It was the first time Tillison used the AED after he purchased it three years ago.
Karrie McAllister, Ryan’s wife, suggested having one after the YMCA where she teaches had a similar incident.
“We decided to go ahead and get one," said Tillison. "It is the best purchase in the gym. Hopefully, we don’t have to use it again,” he said.
Thompson is grateful for the AED, and for her family at Tillison Fitness who saved her life.
“Without them, I wouldn’t have been here again,” she said.
After the incident, she and her husband donated the cost of another AED to put in the back area of the gym.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Woman returns to Orrville gym where members rallied to save her life
