After experiencing a heart attack, Ethel Owens was
pronounced “clinically dead”. Yet today, she is alive and has made a full recovery… well almost.
By Rina N. Risper
The New Citizens Press
GRAND LEDGE, MI — The morning of Sunday, March 19, 2006, was like most weekend days for Mrs. Owens; a time to relax and get chores done. However, as she cleaned her house, she looked out the window and saw a foreboding sight. A black crow was dangling from the tree that faced her bedroom window. Dead and hanging by its neck, its wings hung beneath it like limbs worn weary from exhaustion from a life’s worth of flight. Tattered strings from a shredded tarp were wrapped around its neck and its ebony feathered wings glinted all the colors of the spectrum as it swung from the cold, naked branches.
It was as if it was a sign of things to come. According to folklore, the crow guides the magic of healing and the change in consciousness that will bring about a new reality and dispel illness.
However, on that day, it was just a dead crow but it was extremely distressing to Mrs. Owens, who doesn’t particularly care for birds – dead or alive. She called her husband, Jonathan Owens, Sr., who wasn’t home at the time, to have him remove it from the tree immediately. This memory was one of the events of the day prior to the heart attack that she remembered. She hardly remembers anything else that occurred during that day.
As a child, Mrs. Owens recalls having a phobia about birds. One day her brothers, being mischievous, were antagonizing her by requesting that she partake in a pillow fight. Declining their offer because she knew there were tons of feathers inside of the pillows, her brothers began the pillow fight anyway. She remembers a pillow breaking open and thousands of small white feathery particles descending upon her. She recounted the down feathers became lodged in her nose and throat as she screamed, choking her, and from then on her anxiety level about birds had risen.
By the time night had fallen, the memory of her experience with the crow had faded into an unfortunate occurrence. According to Mr. Owens, who has to sometimes, fill in the gaps, due to Mrs. Owens loss of memory, that bedtime was uneventful. On that night, there were no signs of the change that was about to affect the entire Owens family.
Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.
-Rabindranath Tagore
Mr. Owens recalls, during the night around 12:00 a.m., hearing a gurgling sound coming from his wife. At first he thought she was having a nightmare. When he couldn’t wake her he screamed frantically for his son, Jonathan II, who was an 11 year old sixth grader at the time. Mr. Owens frantically checked for a heart beat and a pulse when he realized his wife was unconscious. Mr. Owens began performing cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) as their son, dialed 9-1-1.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Owens, met while they were stationed in the Army in the state of Washington. They were smitten with each other and were surprised to learn that they had so much in common, including the realization that even though they grew up in different states they were born an hour from each other. They will be celebrating their 29th anniversary in 2008.
They both learned CPR in the Army but Mr. Owens said, “I tell you, it’s quite different performing CPR on someone that you’re close to. It’s tiring too because you have to do a lot of work by yourself and worry about someone you love at the same time.”
When the ambulance arrived Ms. Owens was still not breathing and did not have a pulse. Mr. Owens continued CPR for at least 7 minutes before they arrived.
Someone did get there quickly and it was a volunteer fireman who lived very close by. Then the paramedics arrived and they worked diligently to start Ms. Owens heart again and would not take her to the hospital until she had a pulse.
He expressed with a voice of gratitude, “They got to the house quickly but I tell you those minutes seemed like hours.” He lowered his voice and his eyes glistened as he recounted his thoughts during those minutes, “I thought she was already gone. I knew that if I had stopped (CPR) she would never have a chance for survival… so I kept going until someone got there.”
Mr. Owens recalled, “I just wanted them to take her to the hospital. But they indicated they could not take her until she had a pulse. They continued working for the next 30 minutes until they had a heartbeat and a pulse. They had to move her from the bedroom to have more room. By the time they had a pulse there were 20 people crowded into the parlor.”
As they rushed her to Sparrow Hospital, Mr. Owens stayed by her side. He said he lost track of how many times they had use the paddles (cardiac defibrillator) to restart her heart. He didn’t want to leave her and when hospital personnel asked him to leave he insisted upon staying.
“I didn’t want her to be alone.” He said, “I didn’t know if she was going to live or die, but If she was going to die, I wanted to be right there with her.”
During the first week she was in a coma and on life support, her husband was faithfully by her side. The doctors told Mr. Owens that his wife may be brain dead due to the lack of oxygen.
She experienced many complications during this time including such as pneumonia,methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is a superbug infection that is resistant to some antibiotics and bleeding on her brain.
During this fragile time, any one of these other medical issues could have caused death.
The doctors gave Mr. Owens two grim scenarios, one was his wife would never emerge from the coma or that she would wake up and be in a vegetative state.
Mr. Owens said that he just prayed that God would give him his wife back in any state and that he would find a way to provide for her. When Mrs. Owens came out of the coma one week later, she was able to understand and communicate with her family.
When asked how she felt about the doctors advising her husband that she may forever be in a vegetative state she said, “I know the grace of God The doctors told me how fortunate I was because most people don’t survive what I experienced.”
Mrs. Owens added, “When I woke up (from the coma) I felt so peaceful. Ever since my experience with death, I don’t feel as sad as I used to when someone dies because I now know that when people pass away they are really at peace.”
Ms. Owens had 3 blocked arteries; 2 were 100% and the third was 70% blocked. They determined that she needed to have open heart surgery immediately but the other complications prevented her from having the surgery right away. A month later after many tests, she was able to have the heart surgery.
Misdiagnosing and Self Diagnosing: A Dangerous Combination
After the massive heart attack, Ms. Owens learned that it was actually her second heart attack. As she searched her memory bank for signs of a previous attack, she remembered one day having a familiar pain in her back and laying face down on her bed waiting for the pain to subside.
“I would have pains in my back off and on but this time instead of lasting for 5 to 10 minutes, the pain lasted for 45 minutes and I had difficulty breathing. After 45 minutes, the pain subsided and I was able to get up and go about my day. But the question always lingered in my mind about the difficulty I had breathing,” said Mrs. Owens.
She added, “What I didn’t know then was that was my first heart attack.”
Prior to experiencing both heart attacks, she had a routine visit to her neurosurgeon for an existing back condition. She informed the doctor of new symptoms of the pain in her upper back that radiated to her left arm. She asked him if he thought she had a herniated disk in her upper back and he told her that it was possible but not to worry about it right now because he wanted to focus on her existing lower back problem.
In retrospect, Ms. Owens believes that she was experiencing the first signs of heart problems and wished the neurosurgeon would have referred her to her primary care physician, but he did not.
His Eye is on the Sparrow
The Heart Center at Sparrow Hospital’s motto is “One Heart. One place to go.” Ms. Owens said that her treatment program with the hospital went well as she held the pillow shaped like a heart that was given to her to celebrate her life and recovery.
She understands now that there are many symptoms of having a heart attack and very seldom is it the picture of someone clutching their chest and falling over. According to The American Heart Association heart attacks are the number one killer of women. Heart diseases has been traditionally known as primarily affecting men.
“The doctors and the entire health care team at Sparrow were lifesavers in this situation. They all played a part in the exceptional care I received during my 6 week stay in the hospital”, said Ms. Owens.
“I also thank the Grand Ledge Fire Department, Paramedics, Sheriff Deputies and volunteers for their life saving skills and expertise at that critical time in my life. I am very pleased each of the rescuers received awards for their efforts and I was invited and given the opportunity to present their awards during that award ceremony in Eaton County.”
According to folklore the sparrow was the one bird throughout the crucifixion of Christ, making it a symbol of triumph after longsuffering. Mrs. Owens definitely has triumphed over unseasonable times. For her accomplishments, she deserves a real feather in her cap.
Bengali poet and composer, Rabindranath Tagore is quoted as saying, “When I stand before thee at the day’s end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing. ”
Mrs. Owens’ main focus in life is living. As she lightly touched her neck and her upper chest, revealed were the constant reminders of her battle with heart disease. However, she doesn’t worry about her scars from the tracheotomy or the heart surgery. When told that after her scars healed she could see a plastic surgeon to have them diminished, she decided that she would not do that.
“I thought about it and then I said these scars will be a day to day reminder of the grace that God has given me to survive and beat a heart attack,” she lamented.
Mrs. Owens said that after the heart attack she had to relearn some motor skills. The most difficult part of her recovery was not the open heart surgery but loosing her sense of taste, and difficulty with speaking.
She said, “I have problems now with my short term memory, but considering all that I have been through I consider it a blessing.”
The Owens’ son, Jonathan II, who is in 8th grade at Waverly Middle School has learned a lot as well and at 13 years old appreciates life more than most. His mother’s heart attack dramatically affected the way in which he feels about life and how he plans on living it. Healthy.
Young Jonathan said, “I try to eat plenty of healthy food now. I have cut back on sugar and salt tremendously. When I see my cousins overeating foods that have salt and sugar in them, I tell how bad it is for their health.”
Two Birds With One Stone
The Owens’ own Aunt Ethel’s located at 3217 W. Saginaw in Lansing, MI. When you walk into this antique shop you are automatically stimulating your imagination that will take you on a flight of fancy. As you walk through the aisles packed with everything you can imagine you will feel the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Owens’ innate ability to pick out pieces that make you have a special relationship with your inner self. From antique teacups and saucers to Provincial furniture, they will be able to tell you where it is on any one of the three floors.
When you walk in the entire family is helpful, flitting in when you need some help, displaying items that carry us through time and allowing our imaginations to fly high and awakening a higher sense of gratitude in life.
A fitting quote from St. John of the Cross came to mind: “The soul that is attached to anything however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast; for, until the cord be broken the bird cannot fly.”
In life and in death we can find peace and learning opportunities. Mrs. Owens’ family is closer than ever and she says that her relationship with God has also grown from this experience.
"I know that there is a purpose in all things, and that God has a special plan for me,"said Mrs. Owens.
Mrs. Owens and her family are members of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church, located at 5200 Pleasant Grove Road in Lansing.
Editor’s note: If you are seeking answers to Mrs. Owens journey when she was clinically dead, I did not ask. It wasn’t important. Just pay her a visit at Aunt Ethel’s, I’m sure you will feel very welcomed.
