Man brought back to life thanks Mount Prospect firefighters
A crew of Mount Prospect firefighters that responded to a life-changing call last month experienced a rare treat on Saturday: the man they brought back to life, came back to thank them.
Greg Rose of Park Ridge arrived at the Mount Prospect fire station with his family, loaded with pizzas, brats and dessert for the department.
"I just want to thank you," said Rose, who turned 50 the day he was released from the hospital. "I'm the luckiest guy ever. I was gone and all the doctors kept saying was that what everyone did, gave me a chance (to survive)."
Rose suffered a massive heart attack on Aug. 13, while playing with the St. Raymond's Golf League at the Mount Prospect Golf Club.
The group playing behind Rose found him lying face down near the ninth hole, not breathing and without a pulse. Dave Fairburn, of Mount Prospect; Jim Walsh of Des Plaines, and Tom Stahl of Mount Prospect immediately started CPR. Their heroic actions, firefighters said on Saturday, saved Rose's life.
"We had to shock him twice, once on the golf course and once in the ambulance," said firefighter/paramedic Tom Wang. "There's no way he would have been in rhythm if they hadn't done the CPR."
Wang was the paramedic in charge during the call, and he said it was one call he will always remember.
"The percentage of people who come back from something like this is so low," Wang said. "It hardly every happens."
Responding with Wang were firefighter/paramedics Joe Vena, Ken Dix and Steve Slobe and fire Lt. John Dolan.
Rose says he has no recollection of the incident, including the week leading up to the golf, and the week following. However, within three days of arriving at Northwest Community Hospital, Rose underwent triple bypass surgery, and he was released 12 days after collapsing.
Shortly after returning home, he attended the end-of-the-season party for his summer golf league, where he was able to thank the foursome who rescued him.
"They were the key," said firefighter/paramedic Paul Wojcik. "Without them, it would have been a very different outcome."
Rose says he has been cleared by doctors to return to the tool and dye company in Elmhurst he runs with his brother, Tim, and within two weeks he will be able to resume driving.
"I feel fine," Rose said, conceding he had lost 20 pounds during the ordeal, "except for a little pain in my chest, where it's still healing from the surgery."
His friends tease him that he was playing the round of his life when the heart attack occurred, though they haven't produced the score card.
"All I know is," Rose says, "on that day, I won."