When Charles DeGaugh’s mother came to visit him in California, no one expected the trip would end with her technically dying in his arms—and then coming back to life.
But thanks to Charles’ quick thinking, CPR Training Supplies and the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), his mother survived one of the deadliest heart rhythms: ventricular fibrillation.
A Normal Day—Until It Wasn’t
Charles, a registered nurse turned medical sales rep, had seen cardiac emergencies before—but never at home, and never involving someone he loved.
“My mom was just out on the back porch, walking the dog, when she suddenly collapsed,” Charles recalls. “At first, I thought it was a seizure. But when I got to her, she was unresponsive and gargling. That’s when I knew—I had to start CPR.”
Years earlier, his mom had a pacemaker placed after developing heart block, but there was no warning for what happened next. Her device recorded everything: she had gone into ventricular tachycardia (VTAC), which escalated into full ventricular fibrillation (VFIB)—a fatal arrhythmia if not treated immediately.
“Don’t Stop—Keep Going”
Charles launched into chest compressions within seconds. His husband called 911 while Charles fought to keep her blood circulating.
The paramedics arrived and applied a Lucas device—a machine that performs automatic chest compressions—and delivered two shocks from the AED. No response.
In the ambulance, they shocked her two more times. Finally, her heart converted to a normal rhythm.
“When I got to the hospital, I expected the worst. But she was sitting up, on oxygen, apologizing to me for ruining our trip,” he says. “She had been clinically dead. For nearly 20 minutes. But she survived because we started CPR immediately.”
A Second Chance, A New Mission
After recovering, Charles’ mom received an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator)—a device that can detect arrhythmias and shock the heart back into rhythm. Today, she’s thriving: going to the gym, walking regularly, and raising money for the American Heart Association through their Heart Walk events.
But the experience changed Charles forever.
“It made me realize how many people wouldn’t know what to do in that moment,” he says. "Even my husband, who’s incredibly smart, said he would have started CPR but didn’t know how — he’s never been trained and wasn’t sure he’d do it properly."
So he started a mission.
Charles recently launched a CPR training initiative to certify as many people as possible in CPR and AED use. He’s also working to install AEDs in local nonprofit community centers throughout New York, particularly those with older populations.
“This isn’t just something that happens to the elderly anymore,” he warns. “We’re seeing more cardiac events in young people—30-year-olds, 20-year-olds. We have to be prepared.”
“Time Is Tissue”
In cardiac care, every second matters. Charles sums it up simply: “Time is tissue. The faster you start CPR, the better the outcome. It’s that simple.”
He encourages everyone—whether you’re in healthcare or not—to get trained.
“You don’t need to be a nurse. You just need to act. Push hard, push fast, and don’t wait. AEDs are designed for anyone to use—open the case, follow the instructions, and let it do its job.”
Closing the Gap
Today, Charles continues to advocate for AED access and awareness. He’s purchasing training mannequins and equipment to expand his teaching programs, and has already begun giving talks on heart disease prevention and emergency preparedness.
“I never thought I’d be doing CPR on my own mother,” he says. “But I did. And she’s alive because I knew what to do. Now, I want others to be ready too.”
