May 4, 2001

From left, Mayor Thomas Menino, Jennifer Walker, MD, Officer Daniel Drew and Boston Police Commissioner Paul Evans

Daniel Drew, 52, was in the right place at the right time when the worst possible event happened. He was working detail duty at the Boston Marathon April 16 when he suffered a severe heart attack that almost took his life. Fortunately, the marathon was well-staffed with emergency medical personnel along the sidelines. That fact worked in Drew's favor.

Two paramedics on bike patrol saw Drew pass out and rushed to his aid. They found no pulse and immediately used a defibrillator from a Department of Health and Hospitals vehicle, which was parked nearby. After using the defibrillator to administer one "shock," the paramedics performed further CPR until Drew was revived.

He was transported to the MGH, where he was stabilized and evaluated by Emergency Department staff and then sent to the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Cardiac catheterization involves guiding a catheter through a main artery in the leg up to the heart to obtain images of blood flow and heart function. Based on the catheterization, Jennifer Walker, MD, the cardiac surgeon on duty that day, could see that two of Drew's main arteries were blocked. He underwent emergency coronary bypass surgery that night and went on to have a smooth recovery. Drew was discharged April 21 to continue his recovery at home.

"Officer Drew's successful recovery is an outstanding example of teamwork, from the officers and paramedics in the field to the doctors and nurses at the hospital," says Walker. "It was great to see Officer Drew walk out of the hospital with his family expecting a full recovery."

The entire MGH cardiac team, along with the paramedics who came to Drew's rescue, was honored at a special ceremony with Boston Mayor Thomas Menino at City Hall April 26. Walker was on hand to receive the award. The ceremony gave Drew an opportunity to say "thank you" to everyone who helped save his life that day.

"He is one lucky guy," says Charles McCabe, MD, associate chief of MGH Emergency Services, who was on duty the day Drew was admitted. "When an individual suffers from the kind of cardiac arrest that Officer Drew encountered, there usually is a window of only 4 to 6 minutes to make a difference by administering defibrillation. Everything worked like clockwork that day to save his life."