Mom, daughter thank firefighters

One day last September, Nicole Veldwyk, 18, went to pick up a pizza at a Renton restaurant and doesn't remember much more after that. The man behind the counter found her collapsed on the floor.

Veldwyk didn't know it, but she suffered from a condition that made her predisposed to cardiac arrest, and her heart had stopped.

Someone called 911, but no one attempted CPR before the firefighters arrived. She went without oxygen for 11 minutes. Firefighters worked on Veldwyk for nearly a half-hour, shocking her six times with an automatic defibrillator. Doctors said she had less than a 2 percent chance of living.

But she made it.

To thank the firefighters and the automated device that gave her another chance at life, Veldwyk and her mom, Cheryl Webber-Veldwyk, donated $10,000 to the Renton Fire Department, enough to buy six automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for the community.

Although Veldwyk never expects to need the device again, she wants these life-saving tools to be available for others. "Your life is like a gift," Veldwyk said. "This could happen to somebody else, it happens to kids all the time."

Webber-Veldwyk surprised her daughter Sept. 13 when she took her to Renton Fire Station 12 to present the gift to firefighters. There, Veldwyk was reunited with two of the firefighters who saved her life a year ago.

"Usually, we don't see the results of our efforts," firefighter Paul Keller said. "This was a special call."

Since her cardiac arrest, Veldwyk has worked closely with the Renton Fire Department as a spokeswoman for defibrillators and heart health.

The units are effective and easy to use, Renton Fire Chief I. David Daniels said.

The units have picture and voice instructions and only shock when necessary. AEDs cost about $1,500 each. The department with Veldwyk will decide where to place the AEDs.

It's common to see the defibrillators in city buildings and airports, but Veldwyk wants them to go in community parks and restaurants, too.

"What if your friend has a cardiac arrest at the park, and you can't wait 12 minutes to get those shocks?" Veldwyk said.

Veldwyk's cardiac arrest was caused by Long QT syndrome, a condition that causes erratic heartbeats. After the attack, doctors implanted a tiny defibrillator in her chest.

Veldwyk has no memory of what happened on Sept. 12, 2006, but the day changed the course of her life. She is a pre-med student at the University of Washington. Originally interested in pediatrics, she now aims to specialize in cardiology.

Lauren Vane: 253-234-8604 or lvane@seattletimes.com