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Todd Finley’s heart stopped beating for eight minutes last spring. Thankfully, the lifesaving actions from St. Luke’s ER and

“I think about that day a lot and I am so grateful,” shared Finley. “I am truly lucky I don’t have any lasting issues from my cardiac

Last April, Finley’s day started like any other day. The 45-year-old Cedar Rapids man was going through his morning exercise routine, when he felt a tightness in his chest.

“I passed it off thinking it was indigestion,” explained Finley. “I stopped working out, took a shower and it didn’t go away. Next my arms went numb, and my hands started cramping almost folding in. It was weird. I remember thinking, ‘I am in trouble.’ I got dressed and my stepson was home sick for the day. I went into his room and said, ‘Reese, you’re going to have to drive me to the emergency room. I think I am having a heart attack.’”

“I was working triage that day,” recalled Chris Barkalow, St. Luke’s LifeGuard flight paramedic. “I had just walked a patient to a room and was coming out of triage when I noticed Todd checking in to ER registration. The next thing I know, he wasn’t there any longer. I went around to assess what happened and he was down. He had no pulse and wasn’t breathing. I started CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)."

Barkalow called for assistance and Finley was transferred to a trauma room where the ER team jumped into action.

“Chris Barkalow saved Todd’s life,” said Julie Beard, DO, St. Luke’s ER. “Todd had what we call a witnessed arrest, meaning someone saw him go down and started CPR immediately. If he had been alone, he probably would not be here today. He also received advanced medical care immediately. We have a protocol and cardiac guidelines we follow for patients like Todd. Everyone has a role, and we all know what to do. We train often and our team was ready. They moved quickly.”

The ER and heart teams moved so fast the blocked artery that caused Finley’s cardiac arrest was opened and blood flow was restored to his heart in just 57 minutes.

Working Against the Clock

“Minutes matter when it comes to opening blocked heart arteries,” said Ankur Vyas, MD, St. Luke’s Heart Care cardiologist. “When a heart artery is 100-percent blocked, like it was for Todd, that portion of the heart muscle is not receiving enough oxygen. It starts dying. The longer the blood flow is interrupted, more muscle dies. This is permanent. The sooner we open the blocked artery, the less long-term damage there will be to the heart muscle. The national guideline for restoring blood flow to the heart is 90 minutes or less.”

“I don’t remember much from that day,” shared Finley. “I remember waking up in the ER and having the weirdest sensation of not being able to move and hearing the doctors and nurses. I was in and out of consciousness. I remember them telling me I had a heart attack and they put in a stent. The next thing I remember, I was waking up in the ICU and I had a tube in my throat.”

“Most people who have heart attacks do not have cardiac arrest,” explained Dr. Vyas. “Todd had both. He had an acute complete blockage of one of his arteries that supplies blood flow to the heart, and it happened suddenly, which caused cardiac arrest.”

Listen to Your Body

“Looking back, I had that same tightness the day before my heart attack when I was working out,” shared Finley. “I stopped, it went away and I felt fine. I thought there’s no way I am having a heart

attack. I’m too young. I am fit, I mostly watch what I eat, and I see my doctor every year. My advice for anyone reading this is listen to your body. Don’t be in denial. Heart attacks can happen to anyone. I should have listened to my body the day before and went to the doctor. Thankfully, I finally did note the warning signs and went to St. Luke’s just in time.”

“This is a good story,” shared Dr. Beard. “Todd is a young person whose life was saved. He listened to those warning signs, and he came to St. Luke’s.”

“When I was in the ICU, Chris and Dr. Beard visited me and it was great to thank them in person,” shared Finley. "I let them know how grateful I am. I am truly thankful for the team at St. Luke’s and everyone along the way who has helped me recover. I am alive today thanks to their care.”

Heart Attack Signs

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of breath. This often accompanies chest discomfort, but it can also occur beforehand.

Other symptoms may include breaking out in a cold sweat, feeling weak, nauseous, or lightheaded.

Cedar Rapids’ Heart Hospital

St. Luke’s has once again earned the Chest Pain Center Accreditation with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and Resuscitation from the American College of Cardiology. This accreditation is based on rigorous onsite evaluation of the staff’s ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients who may be experiencing a heart attack. St. Luke’s is the only hospital in Cedar Rapids with this designation.