Giving Thanks for Marco’s First Responders

In the desperate moments where Clark Shaw’s life hung in the balance, the same solemn vow was uttered separately by two of those working feverishly to ensure his survival.

Spoken at different times, out of earshot of one another, their promises to make certain he lived provided comfort at a time when he was teetering on the brink after experiencing a major heart attack.

Shaw credits his continued presence after the late-March health crisis to the skills, empathy and encouragement of the EMTs from the City of Marco Island Fire Rescue Department who transported him to Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard.

It was late at night and the Old Marco resident was sleeping in his living room when the coronary occurred. His wife, well-known Marco visual artist Malenda Trick Shaw, was asleep in their bedroom, while his stepson, Ehrlen Romberg, watched TV in the living room. He suddenly woke up to find he couldn’t catch his breath no matter how hard he tried.

“I know now it’s because my heart wasn't working properly,” he said. “In any event, I called 911, and the lady asked me if I was sweating and some other things. I said, ‘Yes ma'am, I know the symptoms of having a heart attack. Get somebody here quick.’ The first person to arrive was a Marco Island police officer and she said, ‘You're going to be all right. They're (the paramedics) on their way.’ They showed up about maybe five or 10 minutes later, at most.”

They carried him to the ambulance from the family’s second-floor condo. It was there that Shaw posed the question that was at the forefront of his mind: am I going to die?

“And a female voice said, ‘No, sir. Not on my watch,’ he said. “I thought that was something that happened in the movies, not in real life. That wasn't the first time I was going to hear that that night.”

His heart stopped twice during the short jaunt to Physicians Regional Medical Center. The paramedics were able to revive him both times, using a defibrillator.

“All of a sudden I could feel a zap over my whole body,” said Shaw. One of the male EMTs said, ‘He's not going to like this,’ and I thought to myself, Hell yeah, I like it. It's keeping me alive. They got me to the hospital and the nurse - I'm in really bad shape at this point. – said, ‘You're not going to die, Mr. Shaw. Not on my watch.’ So I heard that twice, and I thought I'd never hear something like that. But in any event, if it hadn't been for the prompt response of the EMTs and them knowing what they were doing, I wouldn't be here today.”

After an eight-week hospital stay, Shaw returned home and soon called the EMT station to thank the staff for saving his life.

“The fella on the other end of the phone was overwhelmingly nice,” he said. “He said, ‘Mr. Shaw, we appreciate that because we don't often hear back from the people we transport.’ ‘Well,’ I said, ‘I just want to tell you that I appreciate what you did. You saved my life, and I'm very grateful.’”

Shaw pointed to his strong Christian faith as something he leaned upon as the experience unfolded and that he continues to lean upon today. He also took solace in the expressions of faith provided by the medical professionals who treated him, be it EMTs or the hospital staff.

“I asked every one of them if they believed in God or were they Christians,” he said. “Every one of them said yes. And the doctors were adamant about it. They said, ‘You're only here because God wants you here. We can't do anything without God.’ Now, I never thought I'd hear that from a surgeon.”

Today, the 77-year-old views himself as largely recovered from the heart attack, which was his second. Now his attention has reverted back to regaining his ability to walk, which was affected by Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a hereditary condition that damages nerves in the arms and legs.

“Life is pretty good,” he said. “I'm trying to get to where I can stand up again. That's my goal at the moment. Right now, my stepson helps me sit up on the side of the bed, and I can do that for about an hour at a time. I'm still here and kicking. And I got friends.”