Michigan Man Dies, Brought Back to Life After Major Heart Attack

How important is your heart health? Apparently, it's pretty important for you, your family. your friends, and anyone else who cares about you.

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A runner identified as Tim Ruff who participated in the Grand Rapids Marathon, an annual festivity, was initially pronounced dead, somehow made a miraculous recovery.

Runners Running with Heart Conditions

The dedicated runner was reported to be an avid Marathon enthusiast. He and his girlfriend, Renee Stallings, entered into the half-course race with a plan to only run only 13.1 miles.

Even with only half of the course to conquer, Ruff tried his absolute best.

When Did The Heart Attack Actually Happen?

According to spectators and officials, Ruff's heart attack happened around 9:02 A.M. A few runners noticed the immediate health threat and intervened. Other racers involved, including Theresa Kettlewell and Kelly Carlson, noticed as the runner was lying on the ground.

Kelly, who luckily works in the medical field, was on hand. According to MLive she said,
"As a nurse, I couldn’t just go past them." She continued to say that, "'I’m one of those people that talks to people even if they’re unconscious. I told him, ‘Just keep fighting, just keep fighting.’” 

The Doctor's Response

According to a doctor who was on site during the run, Dr. Rick Ganzi who noticed something was wrong. He said, 'As I got closer, I saw they already started CPR. He was definitely dead at the scene when we first arrived.'

A frightening diagnosis for sure. However, Michigan's amazing medical team was able to not only save the runner, but surgically implant life-saving stints and other implementations that saved Tim Ruff's life.

Had this happened elsewhere, Ruff would likely have not survived. But thanks to the medical staff, he is alive and well.