Last October, Sherry Haas, a longtime community leader and former president of the Palmerton Area School Board, found herself at the center of a life-or-death emergency. Thanks to the swift actions of emergency responders and medical professionals at St. Luke’s, she survived a sudden cardiac arrest and is now using her story to highlight the importance of heart health and emergency preparedness.

At a special event held at the St. Luke’s Carbon Campus on Thursday to mark American Heart Month, Haas reunited with the first responders and medical team who saved her life.

A lifesaving response

Haas, 62, had no known medical history or underlying conditions before her cardiac event. On that October day, she felt something was wrong and called 911. Jason Peters, an EMT with Palmerton Community Ambulance, was the first to arrive. It was his first day back with the company after working elsewhere.

“She had basically no medical history, no medications. She said she never felt this way before,” Peters said. “We want to do a thorough assessment and get her on the stretcher and get her to the hospital. Unfortunately, between that period and getting her to the hospital, she went into a cardiac arrest event.”

Peters performed CPR and managed Haas’s airway while awaiting the arrival of paramedics. The team administered defibrillator shocks and epinephrine to revive her heart before she was rushed to St. Luke’s Carbon Campus. From there, she was flown via Life Flight to St. Luke’s Bethlehem Campus, where interventional cardiologist Dr. Kimberly J. Wilson performed an angioplasty and inserted a cardiac stent.

Dr. William Markson, chief of cardiology and vice president of medical affairs at St. Luke’s, explained the severity of Haas’ condition and the importance of quick intervention in such cases.

“Heart disease is by far the leading cause of death in our country, affecting both men and women,” Markson said. “What happens in a heart attack is that a blockage suddenly becomes complete, cutting off blood supply to the heart. The longer it takes to open that vessel, the greater the damage to the heart muscle. In Haas’ case, her decision to call 911 immediately and the rapid response of emergency personnel made all the difference.”

‘A Once-in-a-Career Save’

According to Peters, Haas’s survival and recovery were nothing short of miraculous.

“This is like a once-in-a-career kind of thing,” he said. “To get a save like that and to have her basically almost no negative deficits from the event is unreal. It’s really a one-in-a-million thing.”

Peters noted that cardiac arrests often result in dire outcomes.

“Maybe 15 to 20% of the cardiac arrest calls we get receive CPR, and of those, only about 20% regain a pulse,” he said. “Even then, many don’t survive long-term. The fact that Haas not only left the hospital but is expected to live a long and full life is incredible.”

Timing was critical.

“If someone goes into cardiac arrest and CPR isn’t started within 10 minutes, there’s nothing left to save,” Peters said. “The fact that she called 911, and we were able to get there before she went into cardiac arrest, made all the difference.”

Recovery and gratitude

Haas has since been undergoing cardiac rehabilitation at St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus and is under the care of Dr. Mary Donna Cruz, a cardiologist specializing in heart failure. She is currently wearing a LifeVest, a device that monitors her heart and delivers a shock if a life-threatening arrhythmia occurs. She is scheduled to receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, which will serve as a permanent safeguard against future cardiac events.

At the event, Haas addressed the crowd and personally thanked the team that saved her life.

“Today, I’m able to be here before you, literally, because of the heroic actions of these unsung heroes,” she said. “They are the ones who didn’t give up on me and saved my life multiple times, just to get me where I needed to go for proper treatment.”

Haas recited a poem she wrote in honor of her rescuers.

She also thanked her family, particularly her husband, John, and daughter, Laurette, for their support. She credited her neighbors, Millie and Rhonda, for looking after her Siberian husky, CrystalBlu, while she was in the hospital.

She expressed her amazement at how seamlessly everything came together to save her.

“It’s hard to think that if even 10 seconds had been different at any step, I wouldn’t be here today,” she said. “Everything worked perfectly, and I owe my life to this incredible team.”

A community leader’s impact

Haas has served on the Palmerton School Board for years and was its president up until December.

“Sherry was key in bringing the new superintendent to Palmerton and has played a huge role in making the school district what it is today,” John Nespoli, president of the St. Luke’s Carbon Campus, said. “By saving her, we didn’t just save a life — we saved a leader in this community.”

When Palmerton Area School District’s board vice president called her about the superintendent pact about a week after she got out of the hospital, she asked if they did the contract without her, never remembering her part in it.

“The strange thing is I have no memory of anything,” Haas said. “I’ve been piecing everything together from what everyone else has told me, and from call records on my phone that I have no recall of making.”

Raising awareness

“I worked in customer service for over 30 years and we always hear complaints, but we rarely hear the good,” Haas said. “I wanted to make sure I thanked each and every one of them, because they deserve to hear what they did and how much of a difference they made in my life, my family’s life, and my entire community.”

Nespoli emphasized the importance of heart health awareness.

“This is American Heart Month, and if there’s one take-away from this, it’s that we all need to prioritize our heart health — not just this month, but every day,” he said.

“This was a true team effort,” Haas said. “Every step of the way, from the moment Jason arrived to the incredible care at St. Luke’s, everything worked seamlessly. I owe my life to them.”