Aneurysm survivor celebrates the miracle of being alive

By Staci Dennis

Correspondent

PRINCESS ANNE

In a split second, Patricia Jackson was as good as dead.

"I saw her eyes roll back in her head and she went limp," said Don Jackson, her husband. "I just knew she was gone."

The Buckner Farms couple had been to a picnic on the Outer Banks and was just leaving when Patricia complained of a bad headache. Within minutes she was unconscious and her husband had started CPR while trying to dial 911.

"It didn't seem real," he said. "It felt like I was in some kind of bad dream."

The ambulance arrived to take Patricia to Albemarle Hospital. Paramedics were still doing CPR as they rushed her inside the hospital.

She was placed on life support, and the doctor said there was nothing else they could do.

Nightingale Air Ambulance would transport Patricia to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

"I couldn't fly with her," Don said. "I had to make that long drive back, thinking about what my life might be like without her here."

Patricia, 61, had suffered an aneurysm and needed immediate surgery. She was in the hospital for 10 days.

"I sometimes get frustrated with my recovery," Patricia said about dealing with side effects a year later. "But my doctor said, 'You have to remember, you were dead.' My body just needs time to heal."

Today, she has a metal plate in her head and suffers with some short-term memory loss, but other than that, she is healthy.

"It's a miracle that I am alive," she said. "I thank God every day for all the people who came together to save my life."

In honor of the anniversary on Sept. 22 of her trauma, Patricia visited staff from Norfolk General and presented them with a gift. She also engraved a plaque and gave it to the staff of the Nightingale.

"It's great to have people come back and tell us their success stories," said Larry Breneman, flight paramedic with Nightingale, who accepted the plaque on behalf of the team.

On the anniversary of the day her husband saved her life, Patricia showed up at his job and held a celebration in his honor.

"I don't know what I would have done without her," Don said. "I want to keep her around for a long time to come."

Don, 52, who has been a postal carrier for 24 years had taken a CPR class a decade ago and is thankful for the knowledge. Patricia, who worked as an assistant with Mental Health Mental Retardation in Virginia Beach Human Services for 15 years, is out on disability because of her short-term memory loss.

"I just wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciated them and all they did for me," Patricia said. "Without all their efforts, I wouldn't be here today."

Staci Dennis, sdennis@cox.net