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San Juan Hills football coach Robert Frith is feeling grateful and raising awareness about emergency medical training after he survived a sudden cardiac arrest incident last month because of an undiagnosed heart condition.
Frith, 48, collapsed while playing pickleball on Dec. 19 in San Clemente and received what he describes as “life-saving care” from an off-duty Orange County Fire Authority firefighter, who was nearby.
Firefighter John Rowlands, the coach said, performed chest compressions on Frith until more emergency personnel arrived at Richard T. Steed Memorial Park.
“The chest compressions saved my life,” Frith said in a phone interview Wednesday. “The firefighter kept my heart pushing oxygen-rich blood to my brain and my other vital organs until the AED machine could shock my heart back into normal rhythm.”
“I’m lucky because of the fast actions of John Rowlands,” the coach added. “He didn’t hesitate.”
Frith said he also was fortunate that the Orange County Sheriff personnel that responded to the emergency was equipped with an AED.
Frith said he received two shocks from the sheriff’s AED and an additional shock from paramedics in the ambulance.
Orange County Fire Authority’s paramedic Truck 59 responded to Frith, who was transported to Mission Hospital.
“I’ve been told by doctors and first responders, ‘You’re kind of a miracle (to be alive),’ ” Frith said. “I’m extremely grateful. That’s the biggest thing that I’m going through right now is just gratitude. Gratitude to everyone.”
Since the incident, Frith has connected with several of the first responders, including Rowlands, to express his appreciation for their efforts.
Frith’s wife Tara called Rowlands and the other emergency personnel, the family’s “forever hero(es).”
In the aftermath of the scare, Frith learned that he has a genetic heart condition that affects the muscle in the right ventricle.
A defibrillator has been implanted in the coach to protect his heart from arrhythmia or an abnormal heart rhythm.
Frith’s recovery from also includes the healing of his ribs and head. He sustained broken ribs from the chest compressions and required 11 staples in the back of his head from the fall on the pickleball court.
But like his medical care, Frith is feeling well-supported as he heads toward a full-recovery.
He’s thankful for his wife and children Luke, 17, and Taylor, 19. He’s thankful for his football family, including assistant coaches, players and parents.
Frith recently finished his seventh year at San Juan Hills. He previously coached at El Toro.
“I’ve had so many fellow coaches from the Southern Section reach out to me and just check on me,” he said. “I’m overwhelmed in a good way.”
Frith is scheduled to return to teaching health at San Juan Hills on Tuesday, and plans to continue coaching football.
But Frith won’t be returning to the school exactly the same.
He aims to be more devoted to his Christian faith and not “sweat the small stuff.”
On Wednesday, he excitedly received a men’s bible devotional titled “With God, for men.”
“I did get a sign on Dec. 19,” he said, “God is great and He put those folks in front of me.”
Frith also wants to advocate for coaches understanding the importance of emergency medical training.
“I got to go make a difference now,” he said. “I will be a huge advocate for coaches understanding the importance of our CPR, AED and first aid training. Don’t take those opportunities lightly.”
“I’ve been a coach who just kind of went through (the training),” he added. “But as coaches, we are the first line of first responders until first responders get there. So coaches, take these things serious because (my story) sure has opened up my eyes to the willingness to want to be prepared if a student, an athlete, a coach, a spectator goes down in my presence.”
“I’m not going to hesitate, just like the off-duty firefighter didn’t hesitate with me.”
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