'Lucky To Be Alive' Woman's Near-Death Experience Sparks Change In Folsom
FOLSOM (CBS13) — Doctors are calling a Folsom woman the "1% girl."
In early June, a former high school water polo coach at Bella Vista High School suffered cardiac arrest.
She was without oxygen for 10 minutes. Her story is now inspiring an entire community to get CPR training.
Lori Durrant works at the D'Artagnan Winery Tasting Room. But on Wednesday the tasting room became a training room, as merchants on Sutter Street get free CPR training.
It's all in honor of Durrant who beat the odds. Doctors say it's a miracle she's alive.
"It feels good to be back," Durant said.
READ: Woman Claims Smartwatch's Heart Rate Tracker Saved Her Life
Water and Wine. Durrant says that's what her life has been about until now.
Judy Collinsworth with the Folsom Historic District Association says what happened to Durrant outside the tasting room in June shocked the entire community.
"Anybody that knows Lori loves her," said Collinsworth. "She's such a physically fit person to have this happen to."
"I put my keys in there, and I was just doing that and that was it," Durant said as she recounted her incident.
Durrant dropped to the ground, she'd suffered a cardiac arrest, something that can happen to the healthiest of people.
"Your heart quivers and it stops pumping blood to the heart," Durant said.
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Neighboring businesses saw her fall and immediately called 911. But, nobody knew CPR or had an AED on hand.
"Every minute that a person goes without oxygen takes about 10% away from their life," she said.
And Durrant was without oxygen for 10 minutes. Until finally, two people who Durrant calls "her angels," stepped in while passing by on Sutter Street.
"For those two people that came out here and were there, thank you so much," she said.
Doctors say Durrant beat the odds.
"Most people don't survive something like this," she said.
READ: Suspect Dies From Cardiac Arrest During Citizen's Arrest
Now, Historic Folsom is paying for neighbors with businesses on Sutter Streer to get CPR training so they're confident to jump in, just like Durrant's "angels."
"If it weren't for them bridging that gap before first responders got there, I wouldn't be here," she said.
Durrant says she now has a new purpose, to find grants that will get AED to businesses around our area.
Getting CPR certified costs about $50 a person, participants in Folsom will get that for free.
Durrant's first responders will all be honored at the Tasting Room.