Family stresses the importance of CPR after father is saved twice

ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ)– What would you do if you got a second chance at life? What about a third? One Duncansville man got those chances after he was revived from cardiac arrest twice in one year.

On March 11, 2023, Terrina McIntosh was in Pittsburgh with her mother when her husband Thomas McIntosh called her and said he was having chest pains. Terrina told him to stay at the house and had her daughter go check on him.

“Next thing I know I get a phone call telling me ‘Mom you have to come home, dad is laying on the floor’,” Terrina said. “He’s in cardiac arrest.”

Luckily the family’s neighbors have been paramedics for 30 years and came over to start administering CPR.

“I just kept saying ‘Please dear God just keep him alive so I can say goodbye’ because I thought for sure I was coming home to say goodbye,” Terrina said.

Thomas was rushed to UPMC Altoona where CPR was given for 45 minutes and was shocked 12 times until he was resuscitated. Terrina says that they waited as patiently as they could until the doctor gave them the good news.

“The doctor came out and he asked me who started CPR,” Terrina said. “I said our neighbors and he said they are the ones that saved his life.”

It was a long road to recovery and Thomas and his family thought that he was in the clear. That was until February 3, 2024, when his daughter found him unresponsive in his chair as the family was getting ready to go to the store.

“Who would’ve thought lightning would strike twice,” Terrina said.

Terrina had been CPR certified from a previous job and quickly called 911.

“I just started the chest compressions,” Terrina said. “The guy on the phone was counting with me. One, two, three, four, five.”

First responders then showed up and took over from Terrina. Thomas was rushed once again to UPMC Altoona where he was saved again.

“This is by far a miracle,” Chairman of Cardiology at UPMC Altoona Dr. George Jabbour said.

Jabbour has worked at UPMC Altoona since 2009 as a cardiologist. He says that this is the most unique instance of a patient having two success stories that he has ever seen.

“The time it takes for your heart to really stop working is about anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes,” Jabbour said. “The time for your brain to start really getting damaged is about 2 to 4 minutes after your cardiac arrest.”

This is why he says any CPR is good CPR. Even basic chest compressions can be enough to circulate blood and oxygen to the brain to help unclog blocked arteries.

As for Thomas he doesn’t remember anything from either time. He says that he still can’t believe how so many people were in the right place at the right time to save his life.

“The ambulance is never staffed in Duncansville like it was that night either,” Thomas said. “So it kind of all fell into place.”

Thomas says that he has many heroes to thank, including his wife, daughter, first responders and the staff at UPMC. For now he is just excited to get back to doing what he loves, spending time outside with his family.

“Oh it’s been rough with the pain from broken ribs and broken sternum, but our second day home from the hospital me and her (Terrina) went for a mile walk,” Thomas said. “I had trouble getting her to keep up.”