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BUFFALO, Minn. (FOX 9) – Two men — one a doctor and the other a banker — both shared a love of basketball, but neither could have imagined they would have shared a moment that would lead one to save the other’s life.
Dr. Frank Anderson’s love for basketball may have saved his life.
“This is, frankly, the only place I would have been in a good condition to have been saved,” Anderson said.
Twice a week, he comes to Discovery Elementary in Buffalo, Minn. to lay ball with friends and acquaintances — like Steve Huston. Huston was there during a late January morning when the unthinkable happened.
“The game was going on, and all of a sudden, we turned around and Frank had fallen backwards,” Huston recalled.
The 32-year-old doctor’s heart had suddenly stopped beating, and Huston sprang into action. He opened up the AED, which was just outside the gym, and put the pads on Anderson.
“Surprisingly, it called for us to shock him,” Huston said.
One shock brought Anderson back to life.
“I’m just thankful to God that the AED was here,” he said.
But it wasn’t there by coincidence. Huston is the owner of Bankwest, and their mission statement is a legacy of caring. In 2005, Huston and his family donated $12,000 to help place AEDs in the community — including one at the school as part of the Heart Safe program in Wright County.
“It really brought that mission forth in a way that — emotionally, it’s really special to me that we’re able to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Huston.
So far, 330 AEDs have been placed in the community — and people like Anderson are around today because of it.
It turns out that Anderson had a rare heart condition called arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.
“This was way off the radar,” Anderson said. “Even in my practice, you see and hear about these conditions, but never think that this would be you.”
That condition depends on an electric shock to start the heart back up, and unfortunately, it’s usually not detected until it’s too late.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the efforts put in years ago,” said Anderson.
The commitment Huston made seven years ago will now allow Anderson to see his three young children grow up, and Anderson said he doesn’t think it’s any coincidence.
“I do think the Lord had it planned that it was going to happen here,” Anderson said
Read more: Basketball Playing Banker Saves Doctor http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/health/basketball-playing-banker-saves-doctor-mar-22-2012#ixzz1pwuzJ8vy
