SHREWSBURY—Days before their 30th wedding anniversary, Trisha and Andy MacIsaac were preparing for a family event coming up on July 2, 2023.
Andy walked their four dogs, came home, grabbed a bowl of fruit and collapsed; his heart stopped as he lay on the floor.
Trisha called 911 and her brother, Ralph Dumphy, who was visiting, began chest compressions following instructions from Worcester EMS Dispatcher John Cappe.
Police arrived and an officer’s body camera captured images of Andy, lifeless on the floor as officers took over and worked feverishly to try to save his life while one of his dogs peered out at the scene from behind a police officer.
Andy and his wife saw the video for the first time on Wednesday when they joined Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. at the Shrewsbury Police Department to present a Team Excellence and Merit (TEAM Award) from the DA’s office to the first responders whose efforts helped him see that 30th anniversary.
“Boy, I’m lucky to be here,” he said, after viewing the body camera footage.
“I don’t really remember anything until I woke up on the following Tuesday in the hospital,” he said.
Early praised the first responders, citing the teamwork that went into saving MacIsaac’s life.
“There’s an old African proverb: you go alone, you go fast, you go together, you go further,” Early said. “And that’s the perfect example of this today.”
He lauded the police officers who were first on scene and the firefighters and EMS workers who spent 30 minutes doing chest compressions and using a defibrillator until MacIsaac’s heart started beating again and he could be transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center – University Campus in Worcester to undergo surgery.
“We’re honoring them. It’s because of them, with a little help from God, that Andy survived,” Early said.
Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson expressed his pride in the first responders.
“These types of calls are in some ways typical of what our first responders see every day,” Anderson said, “but they are so important to the ways in which ensure the safety of all our residents. I commend all of our officers who responded to this call …This was truly a team effort.”
MacIsaac remarked that a simple “thank you” hardly seemed enough after seeing the video. He said he is lucky to live in a community where the training and professionalism of first responders can be counted on.
“I’m here today because everything came together: the training, the professionalism, the dedication, the teamwork that was really instrumental in my chain of survivability,” he said, adding that he lives his life with a sense of gratitude because he was given a second chance. “I have a second birthday.”
The cardiac arrest was caused by a blockage in MacIsaac’s heart and following surgery, he’s recovered nicely. He’s returned to work and will see his son Jake, graduate from the University of Rhode Island next year.
He said doctors always tell patients to lose weight and follow a healthy diet, though that’s not always taken seriously. He now realizes he must live a healthy lifestyle so he doesn’t need the first responders again.
“Listen to your doctor,” he said. “It was a wake-up call.”
Members of the Shrewsbury Police Department who received TEAM Awards are: Lt. Adam Cameron, Officer Waleed Belgou, Officer Ahmed Kafel, Officer Jeffrey Svendsen,, Officer Christopher Vieira, Dispatcher Noah Coates, and Dispatcher Kurt White
Shrewsbury Firefighters Michael Bowles and Christopher White and Worcester EMS dispatcher John Cappe and Paramedics Paige Murray and James Smith also received the awards.
Early created the TEAM Award in 2019 to recognize public safety employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. Contact the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office at 508-755-8601 to nominate someone for this award.
Kim Ring fell into journalism in the 1980s as a correspondent at the Telegram & Gazette and eventually left her initial career to pursue reporting full-time. In her years of writing, she has penned articles for several Massachusetts-based publications, taking a brief hiatus to work as chief of staff for a state representative. She can be reached at Kimringwrites@gmail.com
