Flight Attendant`s CPR Expertise Saves Retired Pilot

Dec. 25--A flight attendant for 14 years, Jennifer Patterson is always on alert for signs of trouble with her passengers.

Still, it turned out the Oregon woman's instincts and first aid training were needed most on the ground after a retired pilot she invited to her family's Thanksgiving dinner went into cardiac arrest Nov. 26.

"You don't want the unexpected to happen but you always have to be prepared for it," she said.

Ms. Patterson, 44, pulled Bohdan "Bud" Kociuk, 74, out of his car where he had gone to get some fresh air after dinner and performed chest compressions while screaming for her other guests to call 911. When Mr. Kociuk came to, he had no idea what had happened.

"The first thing Bud said was, 'How did I get on the ground?,'" Ms. Patterson recalled. "I said, 'You're breathing. That is what you need to know.'"

She and another flight attendant -- friend Michelle Kosen -- went to Mercy St. Charles Hospital to be with Mr. Kociuk. He underwent a heart catheterization a few days later at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, where, Ms. Patterson said, the reality of what had occurred set in for her dear, though at times gruff, old friend.

"The cardiologist and the nurse came out, and the doctor said, 'Thanks for saving a life,' " Ms. Patterson said. "After that, Bud called me his guardian angel."

Mr. Kociuk, who lives in Plymouth, Mich., gave permission for Dr. Ameer Kabour to speak on his behalf. Dr. Kabour, chief of cardiology at Mercy St. Vincent, said there is no doubt Ms. Patterson saved Mr. Kociuk's life.

"He was having a massive heart attack," the doctor said, explaining that it's crucial for patients in that condition to get medical attention within 60 minutes to minimize the damage to their heart and maximize chances of recovery and survival.

While the general public may commonly think chest pain is the primary symptom of a heart attack, Dr. Kabour said it's actually more typical for a heart attack victim to experience unexplained shoulder pain, upper neck pain, or even jaw pain. Shortness of breath is a secondary common symptom, he said.

Ms. Patterson said Mr. Kociuk complained of not feeling well, but she quickly noticed he was sweating and suddenly gasping for breath.

A mother of two daughters, Ms. Patterson said she undergoes annual first aid training as a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines. She hopes there's no need to use it, but she tries to always be aware of how the passengers on her flights are doing.

"I've had people with chest pains, people who passed out, but I've never had to use the [automated external defibrillator] or do chest compressions," she said, adding that there has always been a doctor or paramedic on board when a medical emergency has arisen.

She said she often relies on her instincts, and they definitely kicked in when she saw Mr. Kociuk in distress.

"You hear about people doing this stuff, but you never think you're going to have to do it," she said. "I can still see the whole thing happening. It's like it's in slow motion."

Ms. Patterson said she's had Mr. Kociuk over for dinner once since his heart attack, and all went well. He also attended her daughter's music program at Starr Elementary.

Still, she said, she's not pressing her luck.

"I didn't invite him for Christmas," Ms. Patterson said with a grin. "I told him, 'No more holidays!' "

Contact Jennifer Feehan at: jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-213-2134.

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