Spring Valley Cardiac Arrest Victim Meets the People Who Saved His Life

Friday, April 29, was just like any other day for Spring Valley resident Grant Fleener. An avid runner, who averages between 20 and 30 miles per week, he left his home that morning to take a jog.

While on Sweetwater Spring Boulevard, between Austin Drive and Moorpark Street, Fleener felt a sharp pain in his chest and collapsed. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the hospital two days later, a victim of cardiac arrest.

“It was like The Twilight Zone,” Fleener said.

But his fate is fortunately different than a lot of others in similar circumstances. Almost immediately after he fell, someone placed a 911 call, which was heard by Battalion Chief Mike Stein of the . Stein was just down the road and able to reach Fleener within a couple of minutes.

At that same time, Christy Enos was driving along Sweetwater Springs Boulevard taking coffee to her husband at work. A registered nurse, Enos saw what she described as “a big blue ball” on the ground—it was Fleener in his running clothes—flipped a U-turn, and stopped to help.

Fleener lay lifeless, unresponsive and without a pulse.

Stein and Enos helped turn him onto his back, and Enos began administering CPR. She continued while Stein helped coordinate the EMT crew that was already en route. They arrived in about 90 seconds and took over the duties of trying to save Fleener’s life. Before being taken from the scene, Fleener had regained a pulse and his heart started beating again. He was rushed to Grossmont Hospital.

Fleener, 60, has been given a second chance. On Tuesday, he took full advantage by meeting for the first time the people that saved his life, a mere stone’s throw away from where it almost ended.

“You talk about cherishing every moment in life, and that has changed from a cliché to an intense thing that I realize every moment of every day now,” he said. 

Fleener and his wife, Carlotta, joined Stein, Enos and some of the EMT crew at the San Miguel Fire Station to reunite, tour the station and talk about the experience.

“You certainly look a lot better than when I last met you,” said Stein as the Fleeners entered.

“I would hope so … thanks to you,” said a smiling Fleener.

As Stein recounted the story for Fleener, he praised Enos for her efforts, calling her “perhaps the true difference maker” by starting CPR early and continuing until the paramedics arrived.

Enos said she just had to stop, given her training as an RN.

“I couldn’t imagine if that was my family member and if someone hadn’t stopped to do the same thing,” she said. “This really shows the importance of getting CPR training whether you’re in the medical community or not. To see how happy Carlotta is, and their son, Derek, that’s enough right there.”

Carlotta said that her husband didn’t have any ID on him when he went running, and was therefore classified as a missing “John Doe.” She was eventually contacted by hospital officials after they cleverly used the serial number on Fleener’s iPod to track the owner and get his name and do a search for relatives.

Fleener was in the hospital for about a week. He said he hasn’t had any chest pains since the incident and did not have a history of heart problems.

Ironically, Fleener was training for the America’s Finest City Half Marathon at the time of his cardiac arrest.

“I’ve already paid the entry fee and registration,” he said. “I’ll be out about a hundred bucks—but hey, I’m alive!”

Fleener said he hopes to be cleared by doctors to be able to begin running at some point, but doesn’t know if or when that will happen. He added that there is a little bit of trepidation in getting back to his routine, but said he has full confidence that the decision-makers will know what’s best for him.

Fleener’s new lease on life is pretty simple. Especially after being able to meet the people who helped save him.

“Appreciating the joy of living every day is magnified beyond anything I could have ever imagined before,” he said. “Meeting these people today, it’s a little overwhelming.”