A Carroll man reunites with the individuals who saved his life and stresses the importance of knowing how to perform CPR. Jan. 13 started like any typical day for 40-year-old Tobey Jacobsen, at home with his kids before the work/school day got started. Tobey says he went into his youngest son’s room to get him ready, and that is when things started feeling off.
His wife, Barb Jacobsen was first in the room after hearing a thud on the monitor. She recalls the next three and a half minutes to be the longest of her entire life when she found Tobey on the floor unresponsive.
Iowa State Trooper Sergeant Blake Gray resides not far away from the Jacobsens, happened to have his pager on him that morning, heard the code was nearby and jumped right into action even being off duty.
Tobey was transported to St. Anthony Regional Hospital’s Emergency Room and later taken to a hospital down in Des Moines. After multiple tests, an official diagnosis is still not identified. But on Jan. 20, Tobey had surgery to get a defibrillator placed for not if, but more than likely when it happens again. Due to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations, emergency personnel do not get to share information regarding to outcomes like this, but with the Jacobsens’ approval, Carroll County Sheriff Deputy Nick Johnson shared that while grateful for the results, everyone was shocked.
All three first responders stated they were grateful for the appreciation, but say it was Barb’s quick thinking and jumping into action that saved Tobey’s life, stressing the importance of knowing CPR as you never know when a situation like this could happen. Tobey says he is taking everything one step at a time and has a lot to be thankful for.
Tobey was able to have what he calls a “full circle” moment this (Thursday) morning, getting to personally thank his heroes. He now has to meet with a cardiologist every six months, and while his life may look different, he says it’s minimal to what it could have been.
