When Carmen Zone faced a cardiac episode at the Ohio State University football game on September 13 it was the quick response from American Red Cross First Aid Services Team (FAST) members, a nurse attending the game, Columbus Fire staff and Ohio Stadium ushers that ensured Carmen got the lifesaving care he needed.

Carmen traveled from his home state, California, to attend the game with his family. As they made their way to their seats Carmen began feeling anxious. “I am not fond of heights” Carmen said. As the family approached their seats on the C-deck of Ohio Stadium, the level comprised of the sections near the top of the stadium, Carmen’s anxiety increased and as he approached his seat, he began to feel dizzy. “I tried to take a few deep breaths,” Carmen recalled. “I remember my vision becoming very dark and narrowing. It felt like a tunnel closing in. It was getting darker, and I really couldn't hear much at all. I felt like I was going to pass out”.

His fears came true, and Carmen passed out. Around this time one of the ushers at the stadium came to the first aid room nearby and alerted the Red Cross First Aid Service Team (FAST) crew that something was happening. Gita Balakirsky, one of the FAST volunteers, grabbed her pack with her AED in it and went to where the usher said she was needed.

“There was a large crowd kind of surrounding.” Gita said. “I had to kind of push my way through and be like, ‘hey guys, I'm medical, I need to be the one through here. Please move.’ They had turned him on to his side when I was there… so I pushed my way in and there's a bystander that's kind of helping the guy onto the side.”

That bystander was Colby Morris, a nurse attending the game as a fan. Colby identified himself as a nurse and told Gita that Carmen didn’t have a pulse. Gita asked Colby to begin administering CPR as she prepped the AED. As Gita was doing that one of the FAST supervisors on site, Stasia Levakis arrived.

“As I got closer, I saw the bystander performing compressions and Gita starting to pull gear out of her backpack,” Stasia recalled. “I was able to run up and start helping.”

Time is of the essence in situations like this, and as a CPR instructor Stasia knew that Gita and Colby we’re handling the situation according to proper procedures. “You just follow the steps, you do what you're supposed to do,” Stasia continued. “And I mean, we save the guy's life by doing that.”

With the AED unpacked Gita asks Stasia to help cut Carmen’s shirt so the pads that administer the shock can be placed while Colby is continuing the compressions. With the pads in place the AED does a reading on Carmen to determine if he needs a shock, so all three of our responders take their hands off him until the AED advises a shock. After the shock is delivered Carmen briefly regains consciousness before going unconscious again, necessitating more compressions.

Around this time paramedics from the Columbus Fire Department arrive on the scene. As the CFD crew prepare to take over Gita’s AED is doing another reading on Carmen, suggesting another shock. After this shock Carmen regains and maintains consciousness. CFD take over and prepare to move Carmen to a stretcher to remove him from the stadium as Gita, Stasia and Colby assist in monitoring. Carmen is loaded onto the stretcher, still with Gita’s AED attached to him just in case he needs another shock before CFD can get him to the hospital.

“After going to my knees, I do not recall what happened until I woke up, lying on my back on a gurney,” Carmen continued. “I remember seeing paramedics next to me and a lot of police nearby. I recall hearing my name being called with a familiar voice. I looked in the direction of the voice and saw [my wife] Nancy. I could see she was visibly upset and crying. I knew whatever had happened was serious and had scared her.”

With Carmen on his way to the hospital Gita returned to the first aid room. “We kind of take a breath,” Gita remembered. “We closed the door. We were like, ‘OK, like let's take a minute to breathe and figure stuff out.’ I think it was a lot easier because we did see him come back into consciousness and did see that he was alive… that definitely helped.”

Carmen remained conscious through his trip to the hospital where he was intubated and spent a week recovering from his cardiac arrest. He eventually returned home to California and is recovering peacefully.

“I still get emotional when recalling this day and my time in the hospital,” Carmen continued. “I am beyond grateful to all of them for their quick actions and willingness to help me when I truly needed it.”

Jump to November, the final home game for Ohio State in the regular season. While the Buckeyes aimed to celebrate a perfect home record and continue an undefeated season, some individuals were set to be honored as part of Ohio State’s Scarlet and Gray Salute.