The Edelen family shares a grim bond – a genetic condition that caused George and his daughter Amy to have similar heart attacks 20 years apart.
“They shocked me and brought me back, and I didn’t know it,” George Edelen said.
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WATCH HERE“I went unconscious at my home, so I really don't remember anything from when they were working on me to when we pulled up to the doors at the emergency room,” his daughter said.
Both had the same symptoms, too, and might have ignored them if it wasn’t for Amy’s brother George.
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SIGN UP “Because I’ve been a paramedic so long and I know the signs and symptoms of this stuff,” he said. “Lightheaded, dizziness, nausea, vomiting ... Sometimes if you think something’s not right, it probably isn’t, so you have to listen to your body.”
He's the one who called for help, and his quick-thinking likely saved both of their lives.
As chance would have it, they were treated at different hospitals decades apart by the same cardiologist, Dr. William Suddath, who is now the head of cardiology at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center.
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“It’s not uncommon for patients to come in in their 40s or 50s having had a history of a parent suffering with the same disease process,” he said.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women, and there’s a genetic component to it. But those with a family history can reduce their risk by 80% with lifestyle changes – controlling their cholesterol, blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight and diet.
“I have two sons, and, you know, of course, this does enter my mind as it's something that I've passed on to them,” Amy Edelen said.
Her brother George isn’t taking any chances. He’s getting a series of heart tests this month and is grateful for the time he still has with his family.
“Thank God for everything that happened and them still being here,” he said.
