‘I try to go back, but I can’t remember'
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) - Just over 9 percent of people survive a cardiac arrest that happens outside of a hospital. That’s according to the American Heart Association, which also reports doing CPR doubles or even triples a person’s chances of survival.
Mark Brady, the president of First Reliance Bank in Mooresville, is among that 9 percent because of his colleagues.
“You were over here,” said one of Mark’s colleagues as they walked WBTV’s Mary King to the spot where everything happened.
For Mark, retracing those moments from Oct. 2, 2022, is a blur.
“I try to go back, but I can’t remember,” said Mark.
But the bank’s surveillance cameras and his colleagues help fill in the blanks.
“When we found him it was just the tables,” said Tammy Brewer, the bank’s branch manager who has worked alongside Mark for 15 years even before this current location.
Mark said he remembers everything up until his sudden cardiac arrest.
“I told them I would be back around 3 p.m. to help take everything down,” said Mark.
While Mark had taken the day off to work in his yard at home, he wanted to help set up and tear down the bank’s Food Truck Friday event.
“Mark typically parked in front of our building so we could see him, but he didn’t, he parked on the opposite side because the client’s truck was here, so we had no idea he was even out there yet,” added Tammy.
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Mark was putting chairs and tables away until cameras captured him pausing over a table around 3:05 p.m. and then collapsing to the ground with no one around. Tammy said a client who left the bank found Mark unconscious in the parking lot. It was 3:07 p.m.
“He came and started immediately banging on the door and said call 911 now,” said Tammy.
Colleague Bruni Melius remembers being in a back office at the time it all happened.
“All of a sudden, I hear commotion and yelling and stuff, and so I ran out and that’s when she said, ‘It’s Mark,’ and that’s all she said, ‘It’s Mark,’” said Bruni.
Bruni said she ran out the door and asked if Mark was breathing.
“And just instinctively I got to my knees and started compressions and after a little bit I checked for a pulse,” said Bruni. “There was no pulse and no breathing.”
Bruni kept doing CPR and then the man who had found Mark offered to take over. Bruni coached him through the process.
“Am I doing this right? Am I doing enough?” Bruni said those questions continued to go through her mind. “It was very scary, but I knew I couldn’t stop,” she added.
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Fire and EMS arrived at 3:10 p.m., two minutes after the pair started CPR.
“It was by the grace of God,” said Mark. “I give all the glory to Him because the timing was perfect. If I had been home, my wife would have come home and found me dead,” Mark added.
Mark was in an induced coma for 10 days before waking up to learn what happened.
“Bruni is the one that saved my life, and I can’t tell people enough about CPR. I lived it,” said Mark.
“When I was talking to the EMS crew later, I said afterward I kept running the scenario and I thought, ‘I didn’t do that right,’ or ‘I didn’t do that right?’ said Bruni recounting what happened. “And they said, “No, you did everything you were supposed to do,’” said Bruni. “So that’s my goal is to tell everybody just do something.”
Bruni said she previously worked for the YMCA and had to be CPR certified. She said she never imagined she’d have to use it, but she is so grateful she knew what to do.
All three say their lives have forever changed. In addition to advocating for CPR, they each say every moment is a gift.
“Mark says he no longer has problems. He only has opportunities,” said Tammy.
“Yeah, you realize how fragile life is, and you don’t take it for granted,” added Bruni.
You can also learn how to be prepared to be a lifesaver.
Join WBTV and the American Heart Association for WBTV Hands-On Heroes: CPR for Everyone on Feb. 28 at The Hub at The Exchange in Charlotte from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Anyone can sign up to learn Hands-Only CPR, and you can do so by clicking here.
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