Geraldine Muru (middle) with her lifesavers, Jacob Hammond (middle-right), Hekewaru Muru (middle-left). Jordan (left) and Harmony (right) were present during her second heart attack and also came to Muru's rescue. Photo / St John
Geraldine Muru (middle) with her lifesavers, Jacob Hammond (middle-right), Hekewaru Muru (middle-left). Jordan (left) and Harmony (right) were present during her second heart attack and also came to Muru's rescue. Photo / St John
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) volunteer knows the benefits of CPR training better than most after being saved by her husband twice in two years, from heart attacks.
Huntly volunteer Geraldine Muru was counting her blessing after her latest brush with a cardiac incident in 2023.
Remarkably, she was rescued by the very same heroes who came to her aid back in 2021, doubling her gratitude.
One of those heroes scurrying quickly to her rescue was her husband of 25 years Hekewaru ‘Hek’ Muru.
Before the 2021 attack, she had been feeling unwell with chest, shoulder, and arm pains, nausea, and fatigue.
“I knew something wasn’t right and I had enough sense to ask my husband to call St John. He called them and told them my symptoms, and they said they were on the way and to call back if anything got worse.
“I had time to move the table and chairs soI had space to lie down when emergency services arrived.
“As soon as my husband hung up the phone, I blacked out and passed out.”
Muru’s husband who is also a Huntly FENZ volunteer immediately started CPR and called St John again.
Muru said Hek had done a two-day first aid training course a couple of weeks before her attack, so it was fresh in his mind, and he was calm.
Huntly’s Hato Hone St John and FENZ arrived to find Muru in good condition.
St John Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Jacob Hammond said Hek had been doing a good job at CPR.
“He was applying enough pressure in the right place to ensure blood and oxygen were circulating around her body.
“We took over with the defibrillator and delivered three shocks, after which she regained consciousness.”
Fast forward to September 6, 2023, the volunteer Huntly FENZ brigade and St John departments were undergoing a joint training session, when Muru collapsed again.
CPR is a key skill that lifeguards must also learn.
She recalled having the same symptoms from her first attack, which motivated her to make a doctor’s appointment that was booked for the day after.
“Reassured that I was going to speak to a doctor I attended the training exercise and at some point, I became dizzy and breathless, then I toppled over into a drain and blacked out.”
Luckily for her, Hammond and her husband were both at the session and knew about her history from 2021.
‘No Duff’ was yelled out meaning that Muru collapsing was not part of the training session, and Hammond and Hek took a trip down memory lane.
“I immediately began administering CPR, as my colleagues, Harmony and Jordan, ran to the car park to retrieve our defibrillator”, Hammond said.
“Within minutes of her cardiac arrest, Muru was up and talking, which is the only outcome you ever want to see when you’re treating a patient in this scenario.”
He notes that symptoms of a cardiac arrest would be different for each individual.
St John Emergency Medical Technician, Jacob Hammond, said administering CPR and using a defibrillator increases survival chances by 50 per cent. Photo / 123rf
“Any chest pains or discomfort [felt], it can also just be a pressure on your chest, or pains down your neck and back, any pain that doesn’t feel normal to you needs to be checked out.
“You only have one heart so as soon as you have chest pains, don’t be afraid to call the ambulance.”
Hammond said the first few minutes of a cardiac arrest were significant for surviving it.
“While waiting for emergency services, those first few minutes are recognising that someone is in cardiac arrest and starting CPR. The earlier it’s started, the better the chances for survival are for that person.
“It ensures blood is still circulating around. The heart and the brain are what we’re trying to save.”
Geraldine and Hammond encouraged everyone to get on board the ‘3 Steps for Life’ course to gain confidence in administering CPR.
“The course teaches you how to do chest compressions properly, and how to use a defibrillator - those two increase the chance of survival by 50 per cent”, he said.
“Imagine someone close to you is going through that right in front of you, and you don’t know how to help - CPR is essential because anything you can do for someone in that situation is better than nothing.
“There’s more of a chance at survival with someone giving CPR a go instead of standing around and waiting.
“Going through that course gives you the tools to save a life, and if that’s your loved one you want to know how to save them”, Geraldine said.
She said she’ll forever be grateful to Hammond and Hek for saving her life.
“CPR does save lives and the more people that learn it the better,” she said.
For CPR and defibrillator training, sign up for a 3 Steps for Life course today. Hato Hone St John also administers the GoodSAM app, where anyone trained in CPR can register and help to save lives in their community. To sign up for a full first aid course, visit stjohn.org.nz/firstaid.
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.
