Like many brides-to-be, Rachael Montagu couldn’t help but worry about what her fiancé’s groomsmen had in store for him as he headed off for his stag party on a Saturday morning last March.
Two weeks out from their wedding at Auckland’s Cornwall Park, 35-year-old Adam Booker’s friends had come from far and wide, and were determined to make it a day to remember. But no-one could have guessed that just a few hours after leaving home, the rugby-mad police officer would be fighting for his life.
“My brother-in-law called to tell me that Adam had had an accident and I just immediately thought it would be a broken bone,” recalls Rachael, 34. “But then I heard the words ‘he’s not breathing’ and everything just changed in that instant. I went into total shock.”
It was March 18, and Adam and his mates had arrived at a park in Devonport for a game of zorb football and a few beers.
Within minutes of trying out the giant bubble, Adam collapsed and lost consciousness. He later learned that he’d suffered a massive cardiac arrest and stopped breathing for more than 30 minutes.
Best man Simon Gillbanks, who’s in the navy, immediately started CPR and a passerby raced to nearby Ngataringa Tennis Club, where just days earlier a defibrillator was installed. It was donated by comedian Paul Ego, whose wife Janine suffered a cardiac arrest at the age of 30.
“I’ve been told that without the defib, I wouldn’t have been brought back to life,” tells Adam, who is sharing his story to raise awareness for Heart Saver, the organisation that provides the life-saving devices.
“The word grateful doesn’t even come close. The fact someone knew it was there and got it to me so fast is amazing. I feel incredibly lucky.”
Adam was then rushed to North Shore Hospital and Rachael, an accountant, arrived to find him hooked up to a ventilator, barely clinging to life. Doctors put him into
an induced coma and moved him into intensive care.
They warned Rachael that it was touch-and-go, and if he did pull through, it was highly possible he would have brain damage.
“It was awful,” says Rachael, who spent the next two weeks at her husband-to-be’s side. “After that first night, they tried to wake him up, but he couldn’t breathe on his own. That was the toughest part. It was very, very scary. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what my future would look like without Adam in it.”
But after several days, Adam finally began breathing on his own and regained consciousness.
“It was the best moment when he opened his eyes,” remembers Rachael, who says that Adam had no idea what had happened to him. “He was totally confused. He thought he was in Malaysia on a rugby trip. And he kept pulling at all the wires, thinking they were his iPhone cords.”
But much to Rachael’s relief, he recognised her immediately. “That was the main thing – he remembered who I was and he knew that we were supposed to
be getting married!”
After extensive tests, doctors discovered that Adam – who can’t remember the week before or after his cardiac arrest – has a genetic heart condition that makes
the heart race so fast that it vibrates and stops pumping blood.
Adam was moved to Auckland Hospital for surgery to fit a pacemaker and defibrillator in his chest. Days later, he was transferred to a rehabilitation unit for a week to help with his memory problems.
Rachael and Adam, who met at a New Year’s Eve party almost 10 years ago, were forced to cancel their dream day – instead hosting an impromptu “not-wedding wedding party” at home for the friends and family who had supported them through their ordeal.
“I was pretty tired, but it was very special having everyone there,” tells Adam, who returned to work in May.
“I know it’s not my fault, but I felt really bad that I’d put everyone through it all. In some ways, it was harder for Rachael and my family than it was for me because
I can’t remember any of it. It’s almost surreal.”
The devoted couple – who are determined to spread the word about the cardiac arrest and the importance of defibrillators – are now looking forward to getting married in January next year.
They have moved the nuptials to Waiheke Island and admit that Adam’s brush with death has put everything in perspective.
“For me, the most important thing is the marriage, rather than the wedding,” says Rachael. “I just can’t wait until Adam is my husband finally. It’s been a long time coming.”
Sudden Cardiac Arrest facts
✦ SCA is when the heart suddenly stops functioning. Signs include collapse, sudden unresponsiveness to touch or sound, and abnormal or no breathing.
✦ It’s NZ’s number-one cause of death and can affect people of any background, age and fitness level.
✦ An Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable medical device that can assess heart rhythm. It judges whether defibrillation is needed and, if required, administers an electric shock through the chest wall.
✦ Use of an AED within 3-5 minutes of collapse can increase the chance of survival by up to 40%.
✦ AEDs are at various public places. Download the AED Locations app on your phone to find your nearest one.
