South Brunswick Family Thanks Police, EMTs For Saving Dad's Life

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — One South Brunswick family feels they have so much to be thankful for this holiday season, especially the South Brunswick police officers and Kendall Park EMTs who saved their father's life when he was having a heart attack.

Henry Gong collapsed in the kitchen of his Kendall Park home on Sept. 15 and first responders not only had to do CPR on him, but also use the defibrillator multiple times. Henry's wife, Susan, is now so grateful to the police department that last week, she presented them with breakfast and handwritten thank-you notes from her children. This Saturday, she will be going to the Kendall Park rescue squad headquarters on New Road to serve them breakfast, as well.

"I just want to say thank you to everyone for saving Henry's life," said Susan. "Without any one of them — if there had been any break in the chain that day — he would have had brain damage. They all have a special place in our family now."

It was 11:45 a.m. that Saturday; just a usual morning for the Gong family.

"My son, who is in tenth grade at South Brunswick High and cannot drive yet, was waiting at the door for my husband to take him to a doctor's appointment," said Susan. "While we're all waiting at the door, my husband collapsed. I walked into the kitchen and screamed; he was slumped over a case of water. I shook him and no response; he was not breathing. I screamed to my son, 'Call 911! Daddy's not breathing, he's having a heart attack!'"

Four years prior to this, Henry had been diagnosed with some heart issues. The family saw several cardiologists, and he went on a plant-based diet. It was either that or have stents put in — or open-heart bypass surgery. Henry chose lifestyle management. At first, things seemed to be going really well, his wife said: He lost over 30 pounds, and started going jogging regularly. His high blood pressure and cholesterol went down; his diabetes went away.

However; "He's been under some stress for the past three years, and we've had other family health issues," said his wife. "My mom has been in and out of the hospital and it's been very stressful for our family for the past three years."

Susan said she would later learn that her husband was in full cardiac arrest that day: "That means he was literally dead," she said. "There was not breathing, no sign of a pulse."

She screamed to her 12-year-old daughter to get her father's heart medication. She tried to get the pills into his mouth but because he was unconscious, it was impossible to get him to swallow them, Susan said.

Susan then started CPR, but her husband is much heavier than she is and it was difficult for her to move his body; she also hadn't been retrained in CPR for more than 20 years. She got him on the flat surface of the floor. With the help of the dispatcher Rene Messina, and her son counting, she started CPR, and with a jolt, Henry started breathing again. However, Susan then started to feel dizzy and faint. Her 15-year-old son tried to take over, but he wasn't doing it with enough force. However, on the second try with instructions, he continued the CPR accurately and allowed his father to take breaths in between the chest compressions. In the commotion, her daughter ran to different neighbors informing them of what was going on; and many came to their door offering help.

"I am so proud of (my son)! I'm so proud of both my children!," Susan said.

Thankfully, that's when South Brunswick patrolman Ryan Bartunek showed up their door.

"I was doing a check of that neighborhood, and a call came in that there was an unresponsive man not breathing at a residence on Stevens Road off Stillwell," the police officer told Patch. "I was close, so I just shot right over there. I was there within 30 seconds or something like that. When I got there, the wife was in the kitchen and the daughter was on the phone with the 911 operator. The mom was doing the best she could but she was freaking out."

Bartunek took over CPR, and then William Heins, a volunteer EMT, came into the home as well. Heins wasn't even on duty that day, but had heard the distress call over the radio and was right down the road. Both men took together did CPR, which can be extremely tiring if done correctly and for a long period.

While the men worked to keep blood flowing to Henry's brain and other vital organs, Gong said she and her two children were kneeling on the living room floor, saying the Lord's prayer.

By that point, more officers arrived: South Brunswick Sgt. Dan Olsson and Patrolman Chris MaGee-Vanderbeen, and EMTs Srini Vallury and Jay Phansalkar, as well as Robert Wood Johnson paramedics Drew Lubber and Viran Patel.

"We had to use the defibrillator on him a few times," said Bartunek. "But at some point they said we have a faint pulse and he was breathing."

Henry was taken to Robert Wood Johnson, where he ended up needing to have open-heart surgery. It's taken him several months to recuperate, but he will be returning to his full-time job shortly, his wife said.

"He's recovering well. He bounced back nicely," said his wife.

Meanwhile, she wants to thank everybody in the South Brunswick community who undoubtedly kept her husband alive that day, and gave her family continued support after.

"Thank you all for your contribution in saving Henry's life. Not one is least among you. Everyone worked as a team in the chain of events. You are family for life. I am blessed to live in a great family community with people of genuine compassionate hearts ... from dispatcher Rene Messina, police officers, EMS, EMTs to our dear neighbors, the Mundays, the Grzelaks,the Beaulins, the Nazaires, the Fitzgeralds, Peter Kennedy, Jen Liu, Mark Saychaleune, Margie Fiorentino, my sister Connie, my daughter's friend O'Hara, the Stone Hill Chruch family, the Kendall Park Baptist Church Family and most of all to God for giving our family another chance in life together. Please forgive me if I missed anyone," she said.

"From my heart to all those who work in the fore front, those who work behind-the-scenes, family and neighbors: May your integrity, justice, grace and mercy fill your hearts with a deeper passion for your tasks at hand! May you continue to enjoy the fruits of your labor; and may your cups be filled with impeccable joy every morning in this community and where ever you may go. May God bless you and your families many times over! - With warm wishes and gratitude, Susan Gong on behalf of Henry, Cornelius (Connor) and Alissa; South Brunswick residents.

Bartunek said he and the other officers appreciated the thank-you breakfast from the Gongs.

"It's a pretty wild experience to be honest with you. You almost just go about your every day, and then you realize after, 'Whoa, that guy made it because of what we did,'" he said. "It's definitely a good feeling to know that we made an impact. It's one of the reasons why I took the job."

Photos supplied to Patch by the Gong family.