When Sam Bissell’s father fell ill on Mount Monadnock, she thought his first trip up the mountain would be his last. But an afternoon of serendipity coupled with the kindness of strangers saved his life.
“He had two heart attacks on the mountain so I thought that was the end for him,” said Bissell, of Boston. “It was hard not to entertain the what ifs, but everything came together. I feel like it was so much more than luck.”
Bissell and her father Brian, 54, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, were hiking up the White Dot trail on the afternoon of Aug. 13, when the elder Bissell began experiencing dehydration-like symptoms. After an hour plus break, he suffered his first heart attack.
“He’s a carpenter and he’s very physically active, so we thought it was just dehydration,” said Bissell. “During our third water break, he started speaking gibberish and fell down.”
At that point, Bissell noticed two passersby and flagged them down. Luckily for the Bissells, the two were registered nurses, and stayed to assist.
Shortly thereafter, Sam called 911, which prompted mountain and other emergency personnel to come to their aid. As a precaution, one of the responders brought an automated external defibrillator (AED).
“In my mind, they brought the AED up moments before his heart attack,” said Bissell, who said that her father’s heart attacks were caused by a clot.
After shocking Bissell with the AED, a crew of emergency personnel and volunteers put Bissell on a stretcher and helped carry him down the mountain.
Bissell says 30 to 40 people helped carry and guide her father down the mountain.
“It was such an informal group of people, but they were all gathered to help my father,” said Bissell. “It was such an overwhelming feeling to see that.”
All in all, Bissell said her dad had nine cardiac episodes on his way to Bay State Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. While certainly a harrowing experience, Bissell still believes that luck was on her and her father’s side.
Bissell said doctors were concerned about a loss of mobility and brain function, which could have led to major lifestyle changes. Bissell said her father will have to take it easy for a few weeks, but should be able to return to close to his normal day-to-day routine.
“It’s amazing; I wasn’t sure what his quality of life was going to be,” said Bissell.
“Doctors told him that he can go back to work and do many of the things he enjoys doing with some minor life changes.”
It may not be this year, but Bissell says she can see her and her father conquering Mount Monadnock in the future.
Whether or not they climb the mountain, one thing is for certain: Bissell will always cherish the time she has with her dad, as well as the kindness of strangers.
“The most important thing I take away from this experience is no one does it alone,” said Bissell. “Everyone who came together to save his life made me realize how much I still need him in my life. There is still so much I want to do with him.”
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.