In Westlake, a chance encounter between two men is now a story of survival, gratitude and the lifesaving impact of CPR.
Cellphone video captured the moment a bystander performed CPR on endurance athlete Bill Parmelee after he collapsed during a bike ride last February on a busy Westlake road.
That bystander was Dr. Matthew Evans, who was driving by when he saw Parmelee in distress.
“I decided to go ahead and pull over and make sure he got to the top of the hill. Keep an eye on him. It wasn’t long after I pulled off that he fell off his bike,” Evans said.
Parmelee was about 30 miles into his usual 50-mile Saturday ride when he suffered a heart attack.
Evans said he noticed Parmelee appeared unwell. When he collapsed, Evans began CPR and continued until first responders arrived with an automated external defibrillator, or AED.
“One of the most exciting moments of my life was to hear him actually talking, which suggested to me that we maintained pretty good blood flow if he’s already mentally starting to come back,” Evans said.
Parmelee said he did not fully understand what had happened until he arrived at the hospital.
“I’ve been fit all my life, been running and continuing to train, and held what I would call a fairly arrogant idea that I can eat anything I want. I don’t have to worry about it,” Parmelee said. “That’s just not the case.”
Parmelee later learned that Evans, a cardiologist, would be assigned to his case.
Now, nearly a year later, Parmelee said he has returned to his routine with a new perspective — and two additions to his life: a new grandchild and a lifelong friend.
Two blessings, he said, he is here to enjoy because someone stopped to help.
“He would have been cold if someone wouldn’t have stopped. It’s not because I’m the greatest, just because I knew what to do, and anybody can do that,” Evans said.
“I’d be long gone if it wasn’t for CPR and this guy,” Parmelee said.
February is American Heart Month, a time health experts say is ideal for people to become certified in CPR and AED use through organizations such as the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association.
Great Job Bianca Castro & the Team @ NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth for sharing this story.
