DETROIT – Workers at a Detroit company thought the CPR classes they were required to take were “stupid” and “dumb.”
That is, until it saved the life of one of their coworkers.
Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union Local 2 member Micah Parker, 37, had a heart attack on Sept. 13 while he was working at the Mann Learning Community, a Pre-K and elementary school on Detroit’s west side, according to a release from DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital.
Parker told Local 4 that he wasn’t feeling well that morning and had thought about calling off work that day. He decided not to, since it was a Friday, and he’d have the next two days off.
While on his way to work, he stopped at the gas station and grabbed an energy drink and some Tums because he was lagging and had heartburn.
He said that after he drank the energy drink, he could feel the pain move up his arm until it reached his heart, and it went pitch black.
Parker’s coworker immediately started CPR, while their colleagues called EMS.
EMS issued a “Heart Attack Alert” to DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital, which placed the cardiac catheterization lab on standby.
When Parker arrived at the hospital, doctors discovered that he had a 100% blockage of a main artery. The hospital says the doctors then placed a stent to restore blood flow to his heart.
Two days later, Parker was able to walk out of the hospital and go home.
Doctors say quickly administering CPR saved Parker’s life.
Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union Local 2 has nearly 4,000 members across Michigan and requires all of them to be First Aid and CPR certified.
Union representatives told the hospital that these certification classes will continue for all of the trowel trade members, including brick and block laying, cement, marble, plaster, refractory, stone, terrazzo, tile and precast panel workers after it helped save Parker’s life.
When asked about the significance of this class requirement Parker said “I’m standing here today. If my buddy Eric wasn’t trained, I’d be, my funeral would have passed already.”
Parker’s coworkers, the EMS crews and others who helped save his life are being awarded the lifesaver’s coin from the Detroit East Medical Control Authority on Tuesday.
