(Joplin, MO) – Cindy Brand remembers casually bending over to pick something up when, almost immediately, she grew short of breath, began to sweat and felt clammy. She also felt as if she couldn’t move.
“That’s when I knew something really bad had happened to me,” the 47-year-old elementary schoolteacher said.
With little hesitation, she dialed 911 and an ambulance was dispatched to Brand’s Newton County home. After that?
“I don’t remember anything else,” she said.
The incident took place on Wednesday, July 31, 2024.
“That will be a day I’ll never forget,” Brand said, wiping away tears.
Only days later, while recovering from emergency surgery, would she be told she’d suffered cardiac arrest — the sudden loss of all heart activity — on her way to Freeman Health System’s Hospital West while inside the ambulance. An EMT had performed life-saving CPR on her.
“When she came to Freeman, her oxygen numbers were not compatible with life,” said Dr. Vigyan Bang, Freeman interventional and structural cardiologist.
Like a well-oiled machine, various Freeman departments immediately came together to save Brand’s life. As a breathing tube was inserted in ED, Cardiology was notified about a young patient with cardiac arrest whose oxygen levels were dropping dangerously fast. In under an hour, the cardiac catheterization lab inside Freeman Heart & Vascular Institute was prepped for surgery.
“Like clockwork, everything just fell into place,” Dr. Bang said.
Brand, Dr. Bang discovered, had suffered a pulmonary embolism, in which a blood clot blocks an artery in the lung. In most cases, the block can be flushed out by using blood thinners. But Brand’s case was unique, he discovered — she has a genetic abnormality in which her blood has a greater capacity to clot. She was suffering from disseminated intravascular coagulation, which occurs when blood clots inside the blood vessels use up the blood’s proteins that prevent excessive bleeding, potentially leading to life-threatening bleed-outs elsewhere in the body.
With blood thinning medicines out of the equation, Dr. Bang opted to perform a minimally invasive medical procedure called mechanical thrombectomy, utilizing a specialized large-bore catheter to capture and extract the clot from the lung. The procedure saved Brand’s life.
During a press conference held last week at Freeman Heart & Vascular Institute, Brand said it’s important that we listen to our bodies when things feel off.
“If you know something is wrong, call for help,” she said.
That was key, Dr. Bang told her. “The most important part is that you recognized your symptoms. If there’s trouble, call 911.”
“There were many people at Freeman who helped me that day, but I feel the most connection with Dr. Bang, because he didn’t give up on me.” Here, Brand turned and faced the cardiologist. “Thank you for not giving up on me. I can never thank you enough.”
After the press conference, Brand handed Dr. Bang a gift-wrapped present and card.
“When we started off and I made the decision to perform mechanical thrombectomy, I wasn’t sure we would save Cindy,” Dr. Bang said. “But I’d rather try and fail then never try and give up on a young patient’s chance of surviving.”
Brand, who works in the library inside Neosho’s Benton Elementary School, went back to work part-time last November and full-time three weeks ago. She now walks a full mile without stopping and hopes to resume her daily workouts on her beloved elliptical exercise machine.
“Cindy has been a superstar,” Dr. Bang said. “This is a relationship I will cherish and never forget. There are few and far cases like this, and these are the cases we draw inspiration on to try and come up with treatments for patients in the future.”
“I’m grateful — so grateful — to have this next chance,” Brand said. “I do hold my loved ones closer to me now. I’m going to be a grandmother soon. I’m so thankful for that.”
About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2024, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers and their experiences. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System one of the Best Hospitals for 2022. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 90 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services, women’s services, and many others for all of the Four State Area. Freeman is also involved in numerous community-based activities and sponsored events and celebrations. Additionally, in the Joplin/Pittsburg areas, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.
Reference:
Kevin McClintock, Media Relations Coordinator
Freeman Health System
417.434.3458
KSMcclintock@freemanhealth.com
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