(COLORADO SPRINGS) — For John Aguon, Briargate YMCA was his haven, a place where he could unwind and release any stress from the day. However, on January 22, his life forever changed when he fell to the ground, having experienced a sudden cardiac arrest.
“What I do remember is I worked most of the morning,” Aguon said. “Actually, called my wife and told her that ‘I’m going to go to the gym, I need a workout, relieve some stress,’ and I drove into the YMCA, started playing basketball, that’s basically all I remember.”
John Aguon shared he does not like sitting still and constantly enjoys being on his feet.
Basketball had been a staple in Aguon’s workout routine. At 60 years old, he enjoys shooting hoops and dribbling, a familiar warm-up before hitting the weight room. Little did he know, on this particular day, that this movement would lead to an unexpected 911 call.
“I was shooting around, running around, and then it just went dark instantly,” Aguon said. “Only thing I remember after that, is waking up in a hospital bed, several days later.”
Luckily, Aguon was not alone on the court, another duo witnessed the incident and immediately recognized the urgency to seek help. It was at this critical moment that the life-saving expertise of three YMCA employees would prove invaluable.
“When we ran in, we saw them on the ground and so we did sprint to him and just started the CPR and got the AED set up as soon as we could, and got him hooked up,” said the Director of Health Care Integration at YMCA Briargate, Travis Lerma. “Another member was already here, [and] had already called 911. So, they passed the phone to me and I walked dispatch through everything that we did.”
The three employees quickly acting to save Aguon’s life were Travis Lerma, Sam Arbogast, and Robb Underwood. Lerma described their collective effort, ensuring they provided continuous support to Aguon until first responders arrived on the scene.
“By the time the services got here to take over for us, we went through 8 to 10 cycles of CPR,” Lerma said. “With Sam and Robb, both sharing the load and two cycles of the AED shocking John.”
These YMCA employees are equipped to handle emergency situations like this one due to the training they undergo. Lerma stressed the training they received played a crucial role in navigating the exact situation at hand.
“Everybody has to go through our basic lifesaving skills courses and they’re very detailed anywhere from 4 to 6 hours,” Lerma said. “Plus, some online curriculum that we have to go through tests to make sure we can pass. Then you have the practical, which is the hands-on and that’s where it’s practicing on the dummies, to make sure your compressions are good, and your breathing is good.”
On Monday, Aguon and his family members interacted with Lerma and expressed their appreciation for his actions. Aguon made it clear just how grateful he is for them, specifically referencing them as his “heroes.”
“I told them when I was out of the hospital, I was able to walk in, I told them that they’re my heroes,” Aguon said. “I’m very extremely grateful, that they knew exactly what to do when the time [came] for them to actually respond. They were extremely professional. They were quick about doing what they had to do.”
On Monday morning, family members of Aguon were able to interact with Travis.
Later this week, Aguon is scheduled for a heart stent surgery, and said after he “can’t wait to get back into the YMCA, start working out, swimming, etc., because that’s my lifestyle and always has been and always will be.”
January 22 will forever be a day marked in the memory of not only Aguon but also of the ones who earned the nickname as his hero.
“It’s a big moment for me now,” Lerma said. “But because of the outcome, it’s a positive reminder. So, it definitely helps me remember it in a positive way, where sometimes those things don’t always happen the way it did. But I’m just grateful, blessed that John is healthy, back with us, and looking forward to seeing him shoot back in the gym here.”
