When pilot David Hayes experienced unusual tingling in his jaw on Easter Sunday in 2024, he did not expect it to signal a life-threatening emergency. The symptoms quickly spread to his neck, back, and chest, prompting his wife to take him to the emergency room without delay.
Upon arrival at AdventHealth Lake Nona ER, medical staff performed an EKG that confirmed Hayes was having a heart attack. The hospital’s Flight 1 helicopter was dispatched to transport him rapidly to AdventHealth East Orlando. There, a team in the cardiac catheterization lab was prepared for his arrival.
“Time is of the essence for our patients suffering from a heart attack,” said flight respiratory therapist Leigh Zeedyk. “We knew we had to act quickly to get him to the cath lab so they could save his heart.”
Within 90 minutes of his initial symptoms, Hayes was recovering after receiving treatment.
“They had a protocol, and they followed it perfectly,” Hayes said. “Everybody knew what everyone was doing. It was seamless.”
More than a year later, Hayes reunited with members of the care team who treated him and expressed gratitude for their efforts.
“Thanks for taking care of me. Everything you did was perfect. And I’m still here, a year and a half later, talking about it.”
Zeedyk described the reunion as meaningful: “It brought the entire journey full circle. From the ER to the air to the cath lab, this is what whole-person connected care looks like.”
Hayes’ case highlights how coordinated response from AdventHealth’s team enabled him to return home after his heart attack.
AdventHealth Orlando is located in Orlando, Florida and has operated since 1908. The hospital includes pediatric services and serves as a training facility under its current president Terry Shaw.
The hospital encourages awareness of heart attack signs and stresses prompt action in emergencies.
