LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A retired Las Vegas fire captain shared his story after collapsing at home from a sudden cardiac event.
His wife, a paramedic, saved his life. Now, they’re hoping to raise awareness about how extreme heat can put added strain on the heart.
Daniel Dennson doesn’t remember the day his heart gave out.
“My symptoms would have been the neck pain and the fatigue but as far as the day itself, I have a very blurry, tidbits of thoughts for that day,” he said.
Hours after playing hockey, Dennson collapsed at home, his wife Melanie, a paramedic, ran upstairs and found him barely breathing.
“I realized he didn’t have a pulse, just muscle memory from being a paramedic for. Over 20 years, I just jumped into action and just started CPR,” Melanie said.
Daniel was placed in a coma for nearly two weeks, doctors used a device called Impella, a newer heart pump that temporarily took over his heart’s workload.
“They were preparing us to possibly have to go to California for a transplant and because the Impella did such a good job at letting his heart rest and recover, he’s sitting here,” Melanie said.
Now, the Dennons are sharing their story to encourage others to be proactive about their health, especially as extreme heat takes a toll on the heart. So far this year, 87 people in Clark County have died where heat was a factor and many of those cases involved heart-related issues.
“What’s going on right now in Vegas with the heat, all of that takes its toll on first responders. So whether it’s police, fire, ambulance, anybody working outside, excessive heat does contribute if you have any underlying medical conditions,” Melanie said.
The Dennons said prevention and preparation make the difference, especially for those working long hours or outside in extreme conditions.
“I think it’s better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to your health and heat related emergencies,” Daniel said.
“Listen to your body, it’s going to tell you it’s going to tell you if you’re not feeling good, if you’re having any kind of heat-related illness,” Daniel said.
And for Melanie, there’s one message she hopes everyone hears loud and clear.
“Learn CPR, because someday you’re probably going to use it on somebody you love,” she said.
Daniel Dennon is now retired from the fire department but healthy enough to return to the gym. His wife says the combination of CPR, rapid EMS response, and the Impella heart pump helped save his life.
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