11/26/2025
“All I remembered was driving to the hospital and parking my car," says Jeffrey, who went into cardiac arrest at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital while visiting a relative. "I don't remember walking into the hospital or sitting down in the lobby."
Theresa Brodoski, an assistant clinical manager, found Jeffrey unresponsive. He appeared to be sitting back in a chair but upon closer look, she noticed stiffness in his neck. He wasn’t swallowing. She assessed him and found he had no pulse.
"He could have been just napping, but I wasn't going to take the chance and walk away," says Theresa. She yelled for help and security officer John Stokes rushed over to get Jeffrey on the floor. Theresa began rounds of CPR until rapid response arrived.
Jeffrey was immediately transferred to the emergency department where he coded multiple times – meaning he wasn’t breathing or his heart stopped. He was put on a ventilator and underwent therapeutic hypothermia, a treatment that lowers your body temperature in an effort to preserve brain function. When he was discharged from the hospital – nearly 2 weeks later – he stayed at a rehab facility to continue his recovery.
Now Jeffrey is home and fully recovered, thanks to our team’s swift action, attentiveness and expertise. “I am grateful to God and the Henry Ford Macomb Hospital staff for saving my life that day," he says.
Learn more about returning to life after a heart attack: https://bit.ly/44pTYzD
