Squash player revived after suffering cardiac arrest at Racquet Club
Terry Gray is just happy to be 'in the land of the living' after his heart stops in the middle of a squash game
Joseph Tunney
Northern News Services
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Terry Gray doesn't remember collapsing at the Yellowknife Racquet Club mid-squash game two weeks ago. In fact, he barely remembers anything that happened on May 12, when he had to be revived after his heart stopped during a match.
Terry Gray chases the ball during the Field Law Freeze-Up squash tournament in the fall of 2014. Gray had to be revived after he collapsed in the middle of a squash match on May 12. - photo courtesy of Jeff Hipfner/Racquet Club |
"I've been trying to put the pieces back together," said Gray, who said he couldn't even remember going to dinner before the game.
According to Brooke Harker, who was playing against Gray, after missing a shot Gray just collapsed on the court. At first, Harker thought it was just a joke.
"I thought he was fooling around," he said. "Then I realized, he's not really moving."
Harker then rolled Gray over and found there was no pulse. He was blue in the face.
Harker, a friend of Gray both on and off the court, started CPR as an ambulance was called. Another player grabbed the racquet club defibrillator and started to shock Gray.
"It was panic," Harker said.
Conveniently, there was a nurse working out at the club who soon came to help. However, she too was unable to revive Gray.
The medics then arrived and continued with a defibrillator. It was around this time Harker and the other players were asked to leave the court.
Eventually, around seven minutes after collapsing, Gray took a breath.
He was then taken to Stanton Territorial Hospital and it was there where he later woke up.
"I had tubes and stuff everywhere," said Gray. "When they told me what was going on, it was absolute sure shock and disbelief. At the same time I was just so happy to still be there in the land of the living."
Gray was moved to a hospital in Edmonton where he was given surgery and had a defibrillator implanted. He was released last Saturday and is now recovering at his home.
According to Gray, the doctors said while he might be able to play squash again, he couldn't play it at a competitive level.
Being told he couldn't play squash anymore was tough news for Gray to swallow.
He's been playing since 1990 and he was practicing the last couple weeks before he collapsed in preparation for the NWT Territorial Championship.
Still, he said the sacrifice is a small price to pay for his life.
"I have so much to be grateful for. It changes your perspective on life," he said. "You take so much for granted."
Gray said the doctors don't know what caused the cardiac arrest, just that somehow, perhaps from the squash game, his heart got out of rhythm.
While he is grateful to be alive, Gray said he's hoping his memory of what happened that day will eventually return.
"I hope once I get together with the boys from the club this week maybe a few things will fall back into place."
