Windsor Spitfires assistant coach happy to be back following medical emergency
Windsor Spitfires assistant coach Andy Delmore returned to the bench last weekend after he suffered a medical emergency on the ice during a practice in early December.
“I'm real thankful to be here,” said the 45-year old. “Very lucky to be here in good spirits, healthy and I'm happy I'm here to help the kids still achieve their dreams.”
The LaSalle local says he doesn't remember a lot from that day, but is very thankful to everyone who came to the rescue, especially the team's athletic therapist Aaron English who initiated the team's emergency action plan.
“Guys were calling EMS making sure that everyone was staying calm,” English said. “Getting the AED out to me as soon as possible. It was flawless.”
Delmore also appreciates the help he received from medical professionals during his stay in hospital. Upon his return home the former NHL'er was asked to avoid pushing his heart rate and to take things slow.
And to ensure his well-being Delmore now has an ICD, or an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator in his chest.
“Hopefully it never goes off, this thing, and it was just a one-off but I have something there if it happens again,” he said.
Delmore is an active healthy person and says there were no signs leading up to his medical episode. He is still a bit traumatized but the life-altering incident has him feeling appreciative.
“Love your kids. Love your wife. Love your family and love yourself cause you really have to...it all goes in a big circle and it can go missing quickly,” he said.
A message Delmore has in common with Buffalo Bills player Demar Hamlin.
Another shared take away from their medical emergencies is how important CPR training can be.
English would like to have a session with each player on the team to get them up to speed because an event like this can happen at any time and come unannounced.
He also encourages people to update their CPR training and for teams to try and have an athletic therapist on staff.
His last piece of advice is to stay calm when faced with an emergency.
“Panic is the worst thing you can do,” English said. “Just making sure everyone around you is calm and you're calm and get to what you need to do, saving a life.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
First court appearance for boy and girl charged in death of Halifax 16-year-old
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.