Doctor runs Monterey Bay Half Marathon with two runners whose lives he saved during last year's event
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The doctor was awarded for his actions last year at a special event on Friday and the patients donated an AED to be used at future events where Montage Health provides medical volunteers.
MONTEREY, CA. — One year after Montage Medical Group cardiologist Dr. Steven Lome saved the lives of runners Greg Gonzales and Michael Heilemann during the 2022 Monterey Bay Half Marathon, the trio returned to the course to run together this year.
When Gonzales suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed on mile three of the 2022 Monterey Bay Half Marathon, Lome, who was also running the race, immediately began CPR until Gonzales received a lifesaving shock from an automated external defibrillator (AED). Lome continued running once the patient was safe, and as he crossed the finish line, he witnessed Heilemann collapse from cardiac arrest. Lome again administered CPR until Heilemann received a lifesaving shock from an AED provided by Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula’s nearby medical tent.
Both runners received thorough treatment at Community Hospital following the event including stents for blocked arteries. They made full recoveries with modifications to their lifestyle, then ran again this year, this time alongside Lome and several family members as a special tribute to his incredible actions one year ago.
“Time is the most precious and valuable thing we have, and that’s exactly what Dr. Lome was able to give to both Greg and I,” Heilemann says. “You are my hero,” Gonzales echoes.
Lome, Gonzales, and Heilemann crossed the finish line together on Sunday, and as they embraced one another, they celebrated more than just completing the race. Their hugs and high fives served as a toast to life, second chances, good fortune, and support from their community, families, friends, and each other.
It was an equal display of gratitude for Gonzales and Heilemann as it was a celebration. Fewer than 10 percent of people who have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital survive, and the emotion in their eyes signaled eternal thanks to Lome and other medical personnel for helping them beat the odds.
On Friday, the American Red Cross presented Lome with an award at a special event that honored all the heroes involved in saving Gonzales’ and Heilemann’s lives including the on-course medical volunteers, first responders, and doctors and nurses at Community Hospital. Gonzales and Heilemann donated an AED to Montage Health in Lome’s name to be used at events where Montage Health provides medical volunteers.
“I’m so happy that Greg and Mike are doing so great and made such a wonderful recovery,” Lome says. “It takes a huge team to have such a positive outcome in such a difficult situation, from the nurses, paramedics, race directors, and doctors who took care of Greg and Mike.”
The patients’ full recovery underscores the importance of community members knowing how to use an AED and perform CPR as well as getting their heart checked each year. The faster an AED shock can be administered to someone in cardiac arrest, the better their chances of survival.
To learn more about our AED program for the community, see the Tyler Heart AED program.
