GA Firefighter Back on Job Months after Training Cardiac Arrest
More than four months after going into cardiac arrest during on-the-job training, a Hall County firefighter is able to again don his work suspenders, hard hat and hefty coat.
Sgt. Jonathan Barton returned to work Tuesday, which was 133 days after the cardiac arrest landed him in the hospital.
Hall County Fire Services gleefully announced Barton’s return in a Facebook post.
On Feb. 11, Barton participated in physical training and conditioning with a recruit class at the Hall County Services Training Center. At some point, he went into cardiac arrest, which landed him in Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
Doctors quickly performed a cardiac catheterization, also known as a heart cath, to examine the firefighter’s heart. Doctors also used an Impella pump to assist with his heart functions.
At multiple points, he went through episodes of ventricular tachycardia, which is when a heart beats abnormally fast and prevents proper blood and oxygen from flowing to the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Days later, his condition began to improve, which allowed doctors to remove the pump.
“(His family is) reporting that Jonathan has the possibility of a full cardiac recovery with no left ventricle damage,” the department said three days after his hospitalization.
According to a GoFundMe page, Barton and his wife have two young children. As of Thursday afternoon, the page had raised nearly $17,000, which will go toward his medical costs.
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