McDonald’s workers helped save mum’s life after heart attack on the Sunshine Coast
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Maccas miracle: How McDonald’s workers helped save the life of a mother-of-two when she suffered a major heart attack in front of shocked diners
- A McDonald’s employee helped save a Queensland mum’s life last month
- Mum-of-two Rebekah Schull had heart attack as she arrived at the restaurant
- Charlie, a Macca’s worker, also a third-year paramedic trainee came to help
- Brendan, an off-duty ICU worker, also rushed over to give CPR to Mrs Schull
- Their efforts led her to a miraculous recovery that no one would normally survive
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A mother-of-two who had a major heart attack at a McDonalds’ was saved by bystanders and the quick-thinking actions of the restaurant’s staff.
Rebekah Schull collapsed as she was walking into the Sunshine Coast fast food outlet last month where Charlie, a third-year paramedic trainee, was on shift.
He went to help her while another McDonald’s worker called triple-0. Three other diners also came to her aid.
Her rescuers thought she was having a seizure at first because she was shaking but the convulsions were being triggered by her cardiac arrest as her lungs and heart were starving of oxygen.
In an incredible stroke of luck, Brendan, an off-duty ICU worker, was eating a meal in his car when the medical emergency unfolded and immediately started CPR.
Doctor’s told Mrs Schull’s family she had little hope of ever gaining consciousness and that she would likely remain in a vegetative state – if she survived survived at all.
But due to the efforts of those at the fast food chain, she has now made a miraculous recovery.
Rebekah Schull (pictured with her husband) was discharged from hospital two weeks ago and has been learning how to walk
Doctor’s told Mrs Schull’s (pictured) family she had little hope of gaining consciousness and they should expect her to remain in a vegetative state – if she survived
Mrs Schull revealed the heart attack came out of nowhere.
‘I actually landed flat on my face, I didn’t put my hands out or anything. I just smacked down on the ground, my chin took the full force,’ Mrs Schull told news.com.
After paramedics arrived things started taking a turn for the worst.
As they fought to keep her heart beating they discovered a huge blood clot in her lungs that required large amounts of blood thinners to fix.
Mrs Schull lost a significant amount of blood during the ordeal which caused her haemoglobin level to drop to 51, which is far below the regular range of 121-151 grams per litre.
As a Jehovah’s Witness she wasn’t allowed to accept donated blood, so her condition rapidly deteriorated.
She was in an induced coma for two weeks at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and doctors held out little hope should would survive.
Family were preparing to say their final goodbyes beside her bedside when she finally opened her eyes.
‘I actually woke up when my daughters came in to say goodbye. I was so traumatised by it, it woke me out of my coma,’ she said.
Mrs Schull was grateful for the efforts of Charlie, Brendan and others who helped her at the scene (pictured, the Sunshine Coast McDonald’s where she collapsed)
Mrs Schull was discharged from hospital two weeks ago and has since been re-learning how to walk.
She still has pain from the multiple chest compressions she had, which medical staff said was the thing that saved her life.
‘I’m so fortunate it happened at McDonald’s. I truly believe I would have died if it happened anywhere else,’ Mrs Schull said.
She added that a nurse told her nobody survives a heart attack like that – even if she had it outside of a hospital.
Mrs Schull said she was grateful to Charlie, Brendan and others who came to her.
She is expected to make a full recovery.