<div>ssoldan@mihomepaper.comWhen Mike Sheridan’s heart stopped at a volleyball game, Maria Lauinger was in the right place at the right time.“I’ve known him for about 15 years, we’re friends,” said Lauinger, a Brandon Township resident. “He was walking to the bathroom, and about 30 seconds before anyone hollered, someone called 911. I was the first one there, he was completely blue.”While playing in their senior volleyball league on Oct. 1, Sheridan, 73, went to the restroom and collapsed. His nodes had fired at the same time, which stopped his heart and would have killed him. Luckily, Lauinger spent 24 years as a registered nurse, mostly in the ICU, and knew what to do.She was aware of his atrial fibrillation, which he had been monitoring, so she called for someone to grab the automated external defibrillator (AED) while she started CPR compressions and mouth to mouth.“I gave him two breaths immediately and did chest compressions for about four minutes,” she said. “I was screaming for the AED and someone brought it for me. Two of the other players opened up the machine, and I gave them instructions and I used it to give him a shock. I did chest compressions and mouth to mouth for another four minutes until he made noise. I cleared out his nose and mouth, and then he was breathing. I’m so, so grateful he was able to be resuscitated.”Lauinger said it felt like the movies, and that she was determined for him not to die.“I just thought, he’s not dying on me, there’s no way, I would have never forgiven myself,” she said. “I would have continued CPR for 20 minutes, I wasn’t even tired. His lungs were expanding, and they were getting pulses in the extremities. I was grateful for the AED to be there. It came second nature, you do it for so many years, but this was my first true resuscitation outside of the hospital.”Once paramedics arrived, they transported Lauinger and Sheridan to the hospital. His tests showed he had no blockages, his CAT scan was negative, and he wouldn’t have lasting affects. Despite significant bruising from the fall and intubation to ensure he was breathing, he is expected to make a full recovery.“He’s completely alert and oriented, and two days afterwards e was attempting to sing in his hospital bed, he loves singing,” she said. “He’s walking, and he’s going to get an internal defibrillator to alleviate any issues.”Lauinger said she felt she was meant to be there that day. The volleyball league plays in three different buildings throughout the week, and the building in Auburn Hills they played in that Tuesday had an AED in it. She also said he was supposed to leave for vacation that Thursday, which included hiking.“His wife was just over the moon, she said there was no way he would have survived if that happened while they were hiking in the mountains,” she said. “She said, ‘it was meant to be.’”Two of Lauinger’s daughters are doctors, and following the incident, one of her daughters shared a statistic with her that shocked her.“She said, ‘you don’t know what you did, Mom,’ she said less than one percent of people resuscitated in public live,” she said. “I was blown away when she told me that. I want to thank everybody that assisted and supported and backed up the assistant. All the gratitude afterwards has just been so wonderful It was just a really, really great feeling.”Lauinger, 58, said that keeping up on training and staying active are two of the most important things for situations like this and for aging in general.“In emergency situations, acting fast is the best thing,” she said. “You want to make sure any kind of education, you get versed in CPR and AED usage. Always know where the location is for the AED. Practice it, think it over in your mind. You never know when you’re going to be able to help someone live another 20 years.”Lauinger and Sheridan plan to continue playing volleyball, which helps to keep them healthy.“It shows with these seniors, they’re vibrant physically, mentally and emotionally,” she said. “Whatever your niche is, make sure you’re staying involved. I think that’s really what keeps you young.”‘You never know when you’re going to be able to help someone live another 20 years’ added by Shelby Stewart on October 21, 2024</div>

Mountain View, CA

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‘You never know when you’re going to be able to help someone live another 20 years’

When Mike Sheridan’s heart stopped at a volleyball game, Maria Lauinger was in the right place at the right time. “I’ve known him for about 15 years, we’re friends,” said Lauinger, a Brandon Township resident. “He was walking to the bathroom, and about 30 seconds before anyone hollered, someone called 911. I was the first one there, he was completely blue.”