In late June, while sitting in a Panera Bread in Charlotte, N.C., John Ogburn’s heart stopped — for 33 minutes. And he lived.
A team of police officers, EMTs, firefighters and others didn’t give up on Ogburn, a husband and father of three young children, performing CPR on him for more than half an hour before his pulse returned. Miraculously, Ogburn suffered no brain damage, thanks to quick-thinking first responders and hospital emergency room staff.
Doctors are unsure why Ogburn’s heart stopped — it wasn’t a heart attack — but he is just glad to be alive … and thankful first responders were trained and persistent, very persistent.
Read about Ogburn’s harrowing tale and his full recovery in Wednesday’s Family section of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.