Dori Monson was sitting on the couch rooting for the Washington Huskies in the Alamo Bowl. His wife, Suzanne, was in the next room working on a jigsaw puzzle, a Christmas gift from one of their three daughters.
A week before, Dori and Suzanne had hosted an early holiday family gathering at their home just outside Seattle. Since then, one daughter had gone to Minneapolis to visit her boyfriend’s family and another had gone skiing in Canada.
During halftime, Dori went to see Suzanne. He took the opportunity to serenade her on the piano, a gesture she found romantic even after 35 years of marriage.
When the third quarter began, Dori was back on the couch. Hearing a strange sound, Suzanne went to check on him and found that he had gone into cardiac arrest.
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Recognizing the situation, Suzanne immediately called 911 and started performing chest compressions on Dori as they had been trained in CPR from coaching girls’ sports teams for many years.
Paramedics arrived quickly and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to restart Dori’s heart. Although successful, Dori did not regain consciousness.
At the hospital, doctors informed Suzanne that Dori had been without oxygen for too long, affecting his brain function irreversibly.
The family gathered around Dori as they played his favorite song, “Lullabye,” before making a difficult decision about his care.
Reflecting on the experience, Suzanne decided to organize an event to teach CPR and AED use, especially targeting women in honor of Dori’s advocacy for women both on and off the basketball court.
About 150 people attended the event to learn these life-saving skills, inspired by Dori’s story and legacy.
Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates.
Covering heart and brain health, American Heart Association News shares stories that reflect the official position of the organization. All rights reserved.