Tim Dunahee’s Heartfelt Thanks

Not all air ambulance transports are from the scene of illness or accident. In fact, many emergency transportations by air ambulance occur because patients need specialty hospitals or higher levels of care than the facility they are currently in can provide. Many of the air ambulance transport calls AirMedCare Network providers respond to are for cardiac events requiring the care only a cardiac specialty hospital can provide. This was the case for Air Evac Lifeteam patient Tim Dunahee.  In the testimonial below, Dunahee illustrates how being close to a hospital is sometimes not enough and rapid transport to definitive care is a necessity.

My name is Tim Dunahee. I am 60 years old as I am writing this letter. I live in Olney, Illinois and am the former owner of Dunahee Lawn Care. On July 20th, 2017, I was trimming hedges at a local business in Olney. Because of the hot temperature and the high humidity, I had started early at around 8 am. After working for about half an hour, I was sweating profusely and started losing strength in my arms as to not be able to hold the electric trimmers. I took a few breaks but continued my work. At approx. 9:30 am I had no energy left in me, was very weak as well as saturated with sweat. I finally called 911 thinking I had a heat stroke. An ambulance was dispatched.

I was transported to CARLE Richland Memorial Hospital and was informed that I had experienced a major heart attack. After being stabilized, I was transported by Air Evac Lifeteam from Olney to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Indiana. There was a team of three people in the helicopter with me, including the pilot. They kept me as stable as possible and got me to Deaconess where a team of hospital staff was on standby waiting for me. My main artery had shut down, and if it wasn’t for the fast speed of Air Evac Lifeteam, I would not have survived my heart attack. I spent eight days in ICU and another five days in the Cardiac Care Unit. Since then, I have made a major recovery and am almost back to normal.

I am very grateful to Air Evac Lifeteam, and the special care they provided enabled me to survive and live a little longer.

Learn more about Air Evac Lifeteam and the financial protection offered by AirMedCare Network emergency air ambulance membership for patients, like Tim Dunahee, at www.airmedcarenetwork.com.