Rex Veeder- St. Cloud, Minnesota- 60 years old at time of cardiac arrest. (2007)
Rex has been an educator for the majority of his professional life. He enjoys writing poetry and painting, and enjoys combining the two. When he finishes a painting he will often write a poem over the painting to create a unique work of art.
On June 28, 2007, Rex came home from visiting friends with his wife, Marcia. He told her that he was feeling unusually tired, and that he had never felt this tired in the past. Rex went straight to bed.
While he was in bed, Marcia saw that Rex was turning blue. Rex had suffered a cardiac arrest and, with his heart no longer beating, his body was taking its final, gasping breaths. Marcia immediately began CPR and continued until paramedics arrived.
Rex was rushed to St. Cloud Hospital, where his body was cooled to about 91° F, which doctors have found can prevent swelling of the brain. Cooling is one of the therapies that has been incorporated into the “Take Heart America” program (www.takeheartamerica.org) that Rex was fortunate to be part of. Fortunate because, in less than 2 weeks, Rex made a full neurological recovery and was ready to go back to work.
Today Rex is the Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at Central Lake College in Brainerd, Minnesota. He maintains a healthy lifestyle for the body and mind by doing daily exercises, reading, painting and writing poetry. He looks forward to family reunions and some upcoming 80th birthdays within the family.
Rex, who has five children and four grandchildren says, “I was profoundly moved by the care I was given by my doctors. I have a great reverence for their profession.”