If Thomas Rosenthal could sum his emotions up in one word, it would be “grateful.”
“Speakers often say ‘I’m happy to be here,’” Rosenthal said as he addressed a room of first responders and a helpful bystander through tears. “You can see how true that is in my case.”
About two months prior to this moment, Rosenthal suffered a heart attack after a routine jog through his Fox Point neighborhood.
Carla Mentink, an occupational therapist at Ascension Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Hospital in Mequon, and her husband were driving home from the Fox Point farmers market, when something caught Mentink’s eye.
“I saw two people who looked very panicked and then realized that someone was lying in the ditch,” Mentink said. “I knew we needed to pull over and help.”
That man was Rosenthal. As a hospital worker, Mentink is required to be CPR certified. Although she’d never performed the act before, her training took over.
“I walked up and saw that it was a man, he was unconscious and pulseless,” Mentink said. “Someone had already called 911 and the dispatcher was trying to explain to the caller how to perform CPR, and I said ‘I can do that.’”
Mentink immediately started hands-only CPR and continued until first responders arrived a few minutes later and took over. An EMS crew stabilized Rosenthal and transported him to an area hospital.
Noticing that first responders had things under control, Mentink left the scene. She was later contacted by Fox Point Police Chief Christopher Freedy, who facilitated communication between Rosenthal and Mentink. Chief Freedy told Mentink that Rosenthal had made it to the hospital.
“I almost fell off my chair the second time Chief Freedy called me and said, ‘He’s home,’” Mentink said.
Kevin Seyferth, EMS Manager, Northshore Fire Department, said Rosenthal’s situation is a good example of how CPR can save a life.
“We used to believe we had to do mouth-to-mouth when performing CPR, but now with the hands only CPR training, people seem more willing to get involved in situations like this,” Seyferth said. “Just pushing approximately 2 inches deep on someone’s chest, at 100-120 compressions per minute can make a huge difference between life and death. The most important thing is keeping the blood pumping through the body and to the brain.”
“I’m glad I had my training and was able to step in,” Mentink said. “CPR is an essential life skill. It’s not hard to learn. Once you learn it, you can do it.”
In October, Chief Freedy and the Fox Point Police Department recognized Mentink and the first responders for their quick thinking and courageous actions that saved Rosenthal’s life.
“As a community-oriented policing agency, we feel it is important to recognize members of the community who step out of their comfort zone and help another person,” Chief Freedy said. “The officers see this as their responsibility, but it is something different for a good Samaritan to step in and help.”
As the holiday season approaches, Rosenthal is happy to be able to celebrate with his family and friends.
“What happened to me was a huge life altering experience,” Rosenthal said. “To be able to thank Carla and the first responders who allowed me to be here today is overwhelming for so many different reasons. I want them to know how appreciative I am.”
Since returning home from the hospital, Rosenthal has completed speech therapy and cardiac rehab through Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s, watched the Brewers knock out the Cubs during the MLB playoffs, traveled to Hawaii, and celebrated his twentieth wedding anniversary.
