DJ Becomes MD

October 30, 2007

in Illness/Medical Stories

On January 2007, I was returning home from spending New Years with friends in NJ. The flight to St. Louis was to take about 3 1/2 hours, and it was a VERY early flight. Still slightly hung over, I boarded the plane expecting to get some sleep on the way; that didn’t happen. The flight was bumpy. As the captain announced that we were now passing over Indianapolis, a panicked flight attendant ran past me. The woman sitting a row in front of me on the other side of the plane went limp. The flight attendant knew no first aid including CPR. As he gets on the intercom, he asks for a doctor on the plane; none responded. Luck just had it I was the only one on the plane that knew any kind of medical care. So I, being a DJ, turned into the in-flight doctor. I started performing CPR on the woman that had a coronary mid-flight. Everyone on the plane was great in assisting me with supplies I needed. The pilot came back to speak to me during the process to see if we needed to make an emergency landing in Indy, even though the remainder of the flight would have taken the same amount of time.

After finally bringing life back into the woman and calming her two young children, we landed. The pilot announced that everyone was to exit the plane so the EMS team could enter and take over for me. The process went smoothly. The EMS team loaded the woman onto the backboard and rushed her to the hospital. The startled crew finally calmed down. Nothing scarier than a flight crew with shaky knees. They thanked me with two mini-bottles of whisky. Come to find out the woman was a Hollywood producer and a RN. She had no prior medical conditions and is now back in perfect health and back in CA. Scary part is that the flight crew had no medical knowledge. Had I not been there, those two young children would not have their mother today.

{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }

`j garafano May 30, 2008 at 7:10 pm

i think your story is totally bogus because one of the primary reasons for having flight attendants on board is for medical and aiurcraft emergencies.and that goes for airlines all over the world.so i think you are lying

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rb July 15, 2008 at 11:29 am

I wonder about this too. I always thought flight personnel had emegency first aid training.

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jlo July 15, 2008 at 11:58 am

You're full of it. But, not as full of it as this story you brewed up.

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Shaylin July 29, 2008 at 9:56 pm

If you have medical training you should know that you are NOT supposed to give CPR to somebody who has just had a coronary!

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Joe December 5, 2008 at 11:29 am

1st – all flight attendants have medical training

2nd – how can you diagnose a cornary in the air w/o any equipment.

Start CPR and pray.

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mike r and December 14, 2008 at 6:40 pm

I was beaten to the punch again by all the others posting. But, all the above comments were correct and medically valid ……your story……total B.S.

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Beavis Comeavis April 2, 2009 at 9:48 am

Did you also get a call from the President of the United States while you were performing that CPR?

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Yeah Right April 2, 2009 at 10:35 am

You forgot the part about the airline awarding you your own private unicorn-pegasus so you could ride to the rescue of other Hollywood producers without paying airfare. And the rainbow that came out afterwards.

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Medically Trained April 2, 2009 at 10:58 am

I am throwing the BS flag on this one big time! I love the unicorn comment!

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mary April 2, 2009 at 11:23 am

As an RN who has been on flights with a passenger with medical problems, i know you are full of it. You only do cpr if no pulse, and the crew will have all passengers remain in their seats while EMS comes on board to ascess the person and remove them to a waiting ambulance.if you waited until all the passengers are gone, the patient is dead.

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mary April 2, 2009 at 11:31 am

also,what supplies? all it takes is to pump and blow, most flights have small oxygen tanks and some have AED, which, with your experience, you know what that stands for. also over indy, and an emergency landing, is a lot closer than flying on to stl.

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Anon April 2, 2009 at 12:17 pm

This story made me LOL

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Joe Mama April 2, 2009 at 12:51 pm

Yeah, total BS. CPR does not bring someone back to life, it keeps oxygen supplied to the brain until the heart can be restarted, usually with an AED in this situation. You see AED's in airports and just about all aircraft have them these days. Since you didn't mention using the AED (which the flight crew would be trained to use), there's no way you could have "brought life back into the woman" using CPR. Especially not after having a massive coronary.

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COURTNEY April 2, 2009 at 1:10 pm

I am a flight attendant and I can assure ALL of you that we do indeed get first aid and CPR training that the FAA requires. We also retrain on these items, including the use of oxygen and the AED every other year. We are prepared to not have any medical personnel onboard but always pray that we do. I sure hope that this guy is never really put in the position to help in an emergency.

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Dr. Dr. April 2, 2009 at 3:03 pm

I was on a coast to coast red eye when the FA came over the intercom to ask if a physician was on board. Trust me, the flight attendants have extraordinarily rudimentary medical training. Sure, they can run the AED. But when I asked for the real medical kit – the one with cardiac drugs, IV supplies, and intubation equipment, the FAs know nothing about that. Statistically, someone with adequate medical training is on most flights. Centralized medical command is available from the air (in my case provided by an MD at a service in AZ) if needed.

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Debi April 3, 2009 at 2:24 am

LOL, this was your best attempt at a story? FA all know cpr, first aid and now even training in restraining passengers, which it sounds like your imagination needs. Clear the plane so ems can board ha, maybe this post was to impress a gal?

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Collin April 3, 2009 at 4:23 am

What happened to the children?!? Did you take them home with you? Did you get a hollywood deal out of this?

Your story sucks. Lie better.

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I smell BS April 3, 2009 at 2:29 pm

Previous posters have said it; I'm reinforcing it.

You're full of sh*t.

None of that happened. If anyone had a coronary mid flight, OF COURSE the friggin pilot would make an emergency landing. ALL FA's and Flight Deck crews as well are trained in CPR. A Pilot would not be asking YOU, some DJ, if he should make an emergency landing.

And you didn't save this Hollywood producer and give her life back to her children. Next you'll write that you're actually Tom Cruise.

You're the one with the medical condition. Pathalogical lying. Please, don't fly anymore. You're the kind of person who would probably create a crisis so you could *try* (and fail miserably) at being the "hero". You obviously have a twisted need for attention.

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Joe Mama April 9, 2009 at 10:52 am

He forgot to add the ending: "The lady was so grateful that she gave me the money to keep the youth center open." The whole story sounds like the plot of a cheesy made-for-TV movie.

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funfish April 9, 2009 at 5:18 pm

You are full of shit!!!

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devon April 11, 2009 at 10:37 am

Lol-you missed your calling..fantasy fiction author

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Ryan April 14, 2009 at 10:07 pm

end your life. the world will be a better place.

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Rob April 25, 2009 at 6:37 pm

…no first aid, not even CPR….

Ah. those are 2 separate things. With different classes and stuff. Like, if you smash your nose on the painful realization that reality won't let you get away with writing shit like this, part of First Aid is actually to comfort the injured person.

CPR, that's what happens when you choke on your broiler chicken and refuse to let me help until you pass out, at which time I, for GOD knows what reason, decide to bring you back.

That coronary diagnosis must have burned out your X-ray vision for a couple weeks. Be careful with that.

Ah crap. I'm re-reading your post. That was a freaking soap-opera episode from a few years ago.

You may go back to being your normal freaky self now.

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College Kid November 3, 2010 at 11:14 am

this was after you spent the weekend DJ'ing at the hottest NY clubs and having a massive orgy with all the stewardess' right?

great story

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