RESPOND - TRYGFONDEN

I became a superhuman when I carried my dead son in my arms. Hans Peter Grüner Garth, 40, a farmer. Hans Peter and his wife are at a party when suddenly the baby alarm makes a noise. Hans Peter ignores it. Only when it sounds again does he go to see his one-year son, Harald, sleeping in his baby carriage by the swimming pool outside. He is paralyzed by what he sees. “The baby carriage lay in the middle of the swimming pool. I acted instinctively, threw off my blazer, jumped in and pulled up the carriage. When I got Harald up on the edge, he was lifeless. I felt an indescribable sorrow in my body. But I put aside my emotions and began giving him heart massage. I have taken several first aid courses, but I could not count properly. I just found a rhythm. At the same time, I screamed for help but no one inside at the party heard me. Harald coughed, a sign of life. I fought on for another fifteen minutes before someone from the party discovered what had happened. I ordered people around, asked someone to count for me, someone else to call 1-1-2. Finally Harald coughed again – and breathed. Fortunately, today, Harald bears no injuries after the accident. But I was seeing a crisis psychologist long afterwards to process my guilt. I had forgotten to put the brakes on allowing the carriage to roll down into the swimming pool. And I didn’t responded to the baby alarm at first. Despite sharing the sadness with my wife I felt alone: ​​To have my dead son in my arms. It is a sublime happiness that in spite of it all everything ended well. We have Harald today. “

I saved my mother from dying Rasmus Gruhn, 18, a student. Rasmus has arranged a nice evening with his mother when she suddenly falls down in the sofa with sudden cardiac arrest. Rasmus has never given first aid before or learned it in school. A TV spot about saving lives proves crucial in giving him courage to respond. “It doesn’t happen so often that just me and my mother are home alone. But we had planned this night. We had arranged a really nice evening with food in front of the television. The next moment everything was chaos. Without me noticing it, the food slipped off my mother’s plate and her glass of water formed a dark spot on the couch under her. She had fallen backwards and lay with staring eyes looking up at the ceiling. My mother had a sudden cardiac arrest, but I didn’t know it. I thought she had fainted. I panicked when she didn’t respond. A few days earlier I had seen a TV spot which showed that anyone can save a life, and that you can’t do anything to a person in cardiac arrest which will make it worse. I decide to call 1-1-2. From then on, I was in good hands and got the exact information about what to do. I have learned that you only call the 1-1-2 in an extreme emergency. And never make a prank phone call. So I hesitated a little. Is this an emergency? Can I call and disturb? Fortunately, my mother survived. The incident has brought us closer together. She is recovering well. And so am I, thanks to the help from good friends and my music, which became a refuge for me. And I have learned not to be afraid to call 1-1-2. “

The project published in Ud & Se magazine

Even in the darkest moments, there will be another tomorrow. Birthe Westergaard, 64, a caregiver. Birthe fights until the last when her husband collapses at home. But there is nothing to do. He is declared dead when the paramedics arrive. Her grief is about to overpower her, but she finds a way out of the darkness and wants to share it with others. “It took more than a year to acknowledge how affected I was. My own self-image of being a strong and robust woman who has faced death many times as a caregiver was put to the test when death suddenly occurred in my own house. I lost my husband to sudden cardiac arrest. I tried to resuscitate him but his life couldn’t be saved the paramedics told me when they arrived. By that time I had struggled with him for more than a quarter of an hour. I have sat with at least 50 dying persons and held their hands. I would argue that I’m not afraid of dying. But it was different with my husband Alex. I found myself wholly and completely unprepared. I responded in shock and panic. This time, when I faced death, it was with a man I knew well. It makes a huge difference. I processed the grief by winter bathing. This came to my rescue. In the cold water I could scream, shout and cry out my helplessness. Or just let myself float and be still. Today I am so grateful that I responded and that I at least tried to save Alex’s life. I would have found it immensely difficult if I had stood by and looked petrified. And herein the consolation lies and the key for me to move on: I really fought for him. I did what I could – no one can ask for more.”

I had to choose: whom should I save first? Børge Vestergaard Madsen, 51, a special education teacher. Børge is on his way home from work through ‘The Shallows’ – a reclaimed nature reserve with grassland, reeds and brackish water lakes – when he sees a car coming straight towards him in his lane. He is forced to swerve. In his rear-view mirror, he sees the car run off the road and down into a drainage basin. He rushes to help. “The car was almost completely submerged in the basin. I jumped in and dived. There were a couple in the car. At first I tried to get the wife out who was sitting behind the steering wheel but I could not open her door. I dived again and managed to open the door to the passenger side where the man sat strapped in. When I reached down for his belt, I felt a pinch on my wrist. I was sure that it was the woman who told me she was ok and that I should rescue her husband, so I did. He was blue when I began to resuscitatehim on the roof of the car. Luckily, he came to life. I knew that I couldn’t take care of him and save the wife at the same time, so I ran to the road shouting, and waving my arms. Several cars passed. “Call 1-1-2. Come and help”, I screamed, finally someone stopped. But no one followed me to the basin. I dived down and brought up the wife. She was dead. Afterwards I was named a hero. It warmed because it was hard when people didn’t help. But I’m proud of myself. I know that I made the right decision. The wife had had a fatal heart attack while driving the car. That’s why she had driven off the road and into the basin. It was, in fact, the man who had pinched me under the water.”

We experienced how we all are deeply depending on each other. Malene Guassora, 43, a priest. A dark winter evening after a protestant confirmation event in Gadstrup Church, the priest Malene along with her guests finds a lifeless man in the cemetery toilet. Malene heads for an AED at the city sports center, while the guests are trying to resuscitate the man. “I drove up to Ramsø Sports Center in cassock and all. The AED guided us through each step, and although we were told that we did everything we could, the man died. It was a shocking experience. Right there in the cemetery death came very close. But at the same time it was also touching to see how people responded. An amazing sense of community grew from a difficult and emotional situation. I talked a lot with the confirmands about it afterwards and I used it in my sermons. There is an incentive to help each other in Christianity, and that was what we did that night. I think it was instructive for young people to see that although we live in a selfish world we are also deeply interdependent. As a priest I often meet death but not in this sudden manner. Life is a gift but also very fragile. We have now prepared ourselves. We’ve got an AED at the church, and the parish council has been on a first aid course.”

I stepped aside so that others could save my brother. Henrik Pedersen, 41, a mechanical engineer. After an old boys football game Henrik’s elder brother Karsten complains about pains in his chest. Henrik becomes uneasy. Karsten has a bad heart, and Henrik asks his brother to use the spray of nitro-glycerine, he always carries. But it is too late. “Karsten had gone into the locker room before me, as I entered I was met by loud cries. Karsten sat on the floor up against a bench, gasping for breath. I rushed to him, gave him a couple of slaps and sprayed him in the mouth with the spray. He slipped away, and I froze. All of a sudden he looked like a corpse. I held his head while someone fetched an AED that hung in the clubhouse. Luckily someone from the opposite team took control. He had experience with first aid and he operated the AED. After what seemed like eons, Karsten breathed again. I followed in the ambulance where he had several cardiac arrests. It was hard, but that was my role that day: To step aside and let others save Karsten while I gave him security and care. He recovered and I haven’t considered whether I could have behaved differently. I did what I could with what I had.”

I learned something important about myself that day. Ole Rosdahl, 76, a retired lawyer. Ole’s friend Flemming almost shouts into the phone: ”Pehr has fallen!” Ole knows that Flemming and Pehr are repairing the motor on their shared boat – and that something’s wrong. Ole rushes on his bike down to Hornbæk Harbour. “If it were possible for a bike to have wings, mine had them that day. When I reached the pier, I saw Pehr lying down in the boat’s engine room, bent over the engine. Flemming was completely out of it, so I had to act. I asked him to call 1-1-2, jumped down into the engine room and stood there, looking straight into Pehr’s face. I’ll never forget that face. The colour and the expression told me that he was dead. I felt powerless. I thought: “Pehr depends on me.” Luckily a young man came by and helped. We wouldn’t have managed to get Pehr up on deck without him. I had never given first aid before, but just did what I had seen on television – head back slightly, pressing and blowing. But Pehr didn’t react. He couldn’t be saved. Afterwards I was in shock. I wondered whether it would have made any difference to Pehr if I had been able to provide first aid. But I doubt it in Pehr’s case. After this I have taken a first aid course because I learned something important about myself that day: I am able to react and respond.”

I let nothing stand in the way – as a human you have to respond. Foosiya Nur, 25, a nurse. Foosiya is only a few hours into her first night shift as a student nurse, when she is confronted with one of the biggest dilemmas: Should she stay by a critically ill patient she is monitoring, or should she leave the room to help with the resuscitation of another patient? ”Suddenly a woman screamed desperately from the hospital corridor: ”Help, help, my husband has collapsed …” I was in doubt about what to do. I had been forbidden to leave my patient, and I’m very conscientious. But there was also a woman who clearly was in distress. I chose to help. Her husband had a sudden cardiac arrest in the next room. He had slipped halfway from his chair and sat lifeless on the floor. I panicked. I asked the wife to shout for help. A nurse came. I was still in a panic, I only knew the situation from the textbooks, but I managed to press the alarm while the nurse resuscitated the man. I ran back to my own patient who luckily was alright, even though I had left him. I was told that I had done the right thing: always prioritize saving lives. The wife had also helped to rescue her husband by calling for help. Regardless of religion, faith or culture, you must always help. I let nothing stand in the way of responding. You have an obligation as a human being. I’m proud that I made a difference that day. That’s why I wanted to become a nurse. “

I believe that it is my duty to help. Jens Jørgen Peter Jensen, 65, a taxi operator. An elderly lady usually takes a taxi from her home to the hospital. When she isn’t waiting outside as is usual, the driver Jens Jørgen knocks at her door. When it finally opens, a man stands in the doorway. He says: “I can’t wake my wife.” “She was in the bedroom, and I could see that she was dead. When I touched her, she was ice cold. I called 1-1-2 anyway. Although I knew that she had probably been dead for a while I started to resuscitate her. You never know. I talked all the time to the alarm central that guided me. When the ambulance came, she was pronounced dead. It was a strange feeling having given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a dead body. But I didn’t give it a thought in the moment – only that maybe I could bring her back to life again. Even today the thought remains as to whether I could have saved her life if I have had an AED. Since that day I always carry one in my taxi. It was not the first time I gave first aid. I believe that it is my duty to respond. For instance, if someone has ordered a taxi to be collected for treatment and they don’t show up as agreed I never just leave. I insist on knowing why they haven’t shown up. Even if it means that I must call again.”

I wanted to know if I had saved a human being or just postponed death. René Andreasen, 45, a telecom consultant and former deployed soldier. An elderly man is on the way to the island of Christiansø with his wife. On the ferry he gets ill and collapses. René is on the same boat. He sees it happen and responds instinctively. Subsequently, he has a great need to know how the man is. “I was on the way to Christiansø with a group of accountants, who I was a guide for. Just before the ferry cast off an elderly couple jump aboard. It was this man Jens, I was soon after to resuscitate. The first aid and the whole process around it was a routine. As a professional soldier I have learned first aid and have taught others. I know that you can’t kill people who are already dead. When we returned to port, and the paramedics drove off with Jens, I suddenly could feel it. An uneasy feeling of not knowing whether I had helped to save another human being or just postponed the inevitable. I wanted to know. That same evening we went to Bornholm Hospital. The first person we met was Jens’ wife, Lizzy. The slender woman squeezed me and nearly broke me into pieces out of sheer gratitude. She said: “Thank you”, and I said, “You’re welcome.” No more words were needed. It was sufficient. An incredible feeling of happiness flowed through me. Not only had I just saved another human being, but a whole family. It made me feel warm and proud inside. Since then we have met several times, both at their place and ours. To this day we send each other Christmas cards.”

I always have a resuscitation mask on my key ring. Inge Hjorth-Westh, 58, a teacher. It’s Wednesday night, and Inge plays badminton in Rantzausminde Sports Center, as she has done every Wednesday for ten years. On the neighbouring court a senior team begin a tournament when an elderly man suddenly collapses. “We were three who rushed over to the man. He had had a sudden cardiac arrest. Someone shouted that there was an AED in the lobby. Everybody went there and left the man alone. So I rushed back to him and took the lead. I had no idea that I had it in me. In the beginning we fumbled with the AED. None of us had tried it before. We were nervous about whether we put the pads on wrong. But it worked, and the AED started talking to me. It made it easier until I had to blow. The man who had fallen was foaming at the mouth. It was disgusting. But I overcame my reservations and went to work. It is still hard to think about. Now I know that there is a small resuscitation mask in the AED, but I didn’t see it. Today I always carry one in my key ring. We took turns in giving heart massage and gave shock with the AED a few times. The man began to rattle. When the paramedics took over, I ran to the bathroom and washed my mouth with soap. Not very heroic, but it was my immediate physical reaction to the shock. And then I thought: “Now I will sign up for an AED course.”

Together we saved Henning’s life. Hanne Andersen, Carl Aage Gerhardt, Frank Lass, Morten Kirketirp and Jan Algreen-Ussing, pensioners. The time is 7:30, when Hanne, Carl Aage, Frank, Jan and Henning take their places on the rowing machines in the gym in Elsinore Rowing Club. Suddenly, there is a loud bang from Henning’s machine. He has collapsed and lies lifeless on the floor. Hanne: “I rushed over to Henning’s machine. His eyes were glassy and his face expressionless.” Jan: “We all knew that he had a sudden cardiac arrest and rushed over, shook him.” Hanne: “I ran out and called 1-1-2, while Carl Aage fetched the AED from the corridor.” Jan: “Meanwhile I made him ready. Opened up his jersey so we could put the pads on his chest.” Frank: “Morten arrived and we were now four who took turns giving Henning heart massage.” Hanne: “I was on the phone and spoke with the alarm central until the ambulance arrived.” Jan: “It was hard to give heart massage so Morten took over when I got tired.” Frank: “When I had to give Henning mouth-to-mouth at first I couldn’t. There was dried snot around his nose. I really had to pull myself together, wipe it away and then get started!” Jan: “The AED guided us through each step, and we brought him to life after 5-6 minutes.” Hanne: “We ran like a well-oiled machine that worked.” Morten: “Yes, we acted quickly and efficiently as a team. Without a doubt, because we’ve all been trained in first aid. Everyone ought to take a course, because it provides safety. For oneself and for others, so they know that they can respond if anything happens. “

We have learned that even children can respond. Alexander Rasmussen, 18, and Benjamin Sonnenberg, 19, high school students. Alexander and Benjamin enter the sauna after having trained a team of smaller children in swimming in Midtfyns Leisure Center. In the sauna sits a dead man. Benjamin: “The man was completely lifeless, and we immediately herded the children out so they wouldn’t see him. Fortunately some parents came into the sauna at the same time, and I was asked to help carry the man out. When I grabbed around his upper body, his skin peeled off. It was a horrible feeling. ”  Alexander: “I helped by giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The man had been in the sauna for half an hour and I sucked out the used air from his lungs. I could only do it for a few minutes. It was tough to hear his ribs crack and his stomach churning during the rescue. But I knew there was no way around it. ” Benjamin: “Someone brought an AED, but it recommended not to shock. The man was dead. We are pleased that we had each other to talk to afterwards. It was a traumatic experience. But we also talked about that even when it is hardest, we do not panic. We could actually respond. Since then we have taught the children how to use an AED. Because we have learned that even children can respond.”

I always call my father when I have brought someone back to life. Thomas Pærregaard, 31, a security guard at Copenhagen Airport. On one of his guard rounds in the airport terminal he suddenly hears a strange ‘plump!’ sound. Behind him, an older man has fallen to the ground. Thomas instinctively runs towards the man, at the same time alarming the airport rescue team and pulling down the AED from the wall. “As a security guard I am trained to provide first aid. I knew immediately that the man had a sudden cardiac arrest. You can often see by the way the mouth opens and closes, after which the tongue moves back and forth. I laid him on his back, secured him free airways, tore open his shirt, switched the AED on and attached the pads on his chest. Three of my colleagues came in the same second. The AED guided us. It starts immediately to give you a series of visual and verbal prompts informing you of what you need to do. You can’t jolt too much or wrong. It is important to remember. In that way the AED is a great help in a difficult situation. A colleague checked the man’s wallet. People feel more secure when they wake up after a sudden cardiac arrest if they are addressed by their name. His name was Per and he was 60 years old. Later when I drove home, I called my father. I always do when I have brought someone back to life. I don’t expect any thanks. But I am proud when I have made a difference.”

I could when it mattered. Rolf Blauenfeldt, 26, a medical student. On one of his long runs Rolf finds a lifeless man on the path in the forest. Although he has just been trained in spotting a sudden cardiac arrest it comes as a surprise when he suddenly stands in the middle of it. Today his advice to others is: “If in doubt, then assume that it is a cardiac arrest.”    “I was coming towards the end of my long Sunday run in the woods around Aarhus when I found him. He was almost bent over the fence a little off from the path. From a distance I couldn’t see what it is, only that it looked strange. I ran to him and got him off the wire fence. He was not conscious. I’ve never been confronted with a cardiac arrest before and I was momentarily in doubt. I decided that it had to be a cardiac arrest but the gasping sounds coming from him confused me. It is crucial to make the decision: YES, it’s a cardiac arrest. And YES, the man who lies before you is actually dead. When you finally have acknowledged it then there is only one way and that is to respond as well as you are able.”

Cover of TrygFondens Year in Review 2016

Outdoor exhibition on Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen

The project published in the Danish newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad