Coach Washington Rebounds From Near-Death Heart Failure

With his team up by nine points in the fourth quarter, Woodbridge High School girls basketball coach George Washington called a time out to get his players to calm down for the final stretch.

As the five players walked off the court, Washington suddenly collapsed. The packed Stafford County auditorium fell silent as Vikings assistant coach Tamika Dudley started CPR on the 57-year-old Washington. Deborah W. Stone, a Stafford County resident, rushed down from the stands to help Dudley with CPR on the coach, whom Stone did not know.

“I know I saw a streak of white light and a silhouette of a female, which is crazy, but that’s what I saw,” Washington said in his first interview since the Dec. 28 tournament in Stafford County. “Somebody told me that when you see somebody, it is someone transferring you to the afterlife, but I’m not in the afterlife; I’m back.”

The next thing Washington remembered was waking up in Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg with a pacemaker installed and nurses testing his blood. The game was called off and a win was awarded to the Vikings. Without their coach, the girls lost the second game of the tournament and went home feeling dazed.

Doctors told Washington that his heart stopped, but he didn’t have any blocked arteries. He said doctors believe his heart stopped because of number of things that added up to put the coach in danger.

“My potassium was low. My bad cholesterol was high. My blood pressure was a little high. I was dehydrated and I hadn’t eaten all day,” Washington said. “All of those things just hit my system at the wrong time.”

Washington spent about a full week at Mary Washington Hospital. He said the hospital staff was terrific and he was treated well there. He was discharged with orders to “do nothing.” Washington said his wife Veronica “Cookie” Washington did everything for him while he recovered.

“I am doing well, now,” he said.

Washington has coached the Woodbridge High School girls’ basketball team for 13 years. The retired Army major also teaches U.S. and Virginia History at Woodbridge. 

He said he was surprised by all of the people who heard about what happened to him and sent him letters, e-mails and made personal visits, including former players.

“I had no idea that many people knew me,” he said. “So many people told me how I affected them and they were so happy to hear that I am OK. It was a really, really humbling experience. And it hasn’t stopped.”

A native of Bronx, NY, Washington said he visited his mother, two sisters and brother up north shortly after he left the hospital. After visiting his family, Washington slowly returned to practices — an emotional return to see his team and coaches. He said he’d visit for 15 or 20 minutes and then leave. Washington was able to coach the last five games of the season, with the Vikings going 2-3 in that stretch. The team lost to Forest Park in the semifinals of the Cardinal District tournament.

Washington said with the pacemaker installed, he hasn’t had any other problems. But to stay healthy, he has made some life changes. Probably the biggest change is he relinquished his head coaching position for the Woodbridge Vikings.

“I’m eating better,” Washington said, “and I am not working as much, so the stress is not there.”