Medina ISD Police Chief Urges Others Not To Play With Their Health After Suffering Heart Attack, Dying For 15 Minutes

MEDINA COUNTY, Texas – Medina ISD Police Chief Abel Devora was at work during a track meeting on February 28, 2020, when everything went south. He suffered a heart attack and died for about 15 minutes until a nearby emergency nurse brought him back to life using CPR.

“That day I just walked in, and it was like falling asleep standing up. So I have no idea what happened, ”Devora said.

The police chief woke up after undergoing fivefold bypass surgery and several surgeries to clear his arteries several months later. A year later, he’s back to work and living a different lifestyle.

“I try to walk every day. I’m trying to be light weights, exercise, you know, try to eat a little better, ”he says.

Devora’s goal is to do it one day at a time.

Dr Dawn Hui, associate professor of cardiothoracic surgery at UT Health San Antonio who treated Devora, says the Chief’s recovery is quite remarkable.

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“The disease that affected his heart, it turned out that the disease was similar to that which was in other areas, in other vessels, such as those that went to his brain,” Hui said. .

February is National Heart Health Month, and Devora helps Hui spread the word about the importance of taking care of your health before problems arise. Hui said heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.

Hui says getting medical treatment is crucial. She says she often hears people say that they have a hard time seeing any clues that something is wrong.

“What I hear a lot of times is, ‘Oh, I thought it was heartburn,’ she says. “One of the symptoms of heart disease is feeling more tired from your usual activity. But sometimes these things are difficult to understand.

Hui said people throw it away until they are old, but it could be something more.

People with a family history, who smoke, and have diabetes and obesity are at high risk. Heart disease can be found in people in their thirties.

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Hui says overcoming the problem doesn’t have to be a drastic, life-changing change, but it starts with small choices.

“Every meal you eat is a choice you make. “Am I going to eat a healthy meal? “I’m going to eat the unhealthy meal” or “Can I make a small compromise?” I think small, incremental changes are the best thing we can do, ”Hui said.

Devora is back to work. He says that before his heart attack he was just a typical guy who wasn’t a doctor and often too tired to exercise. He says everyone knows how important it is to take care of yourself, but sometimes work, family and a lack of time get in the way.

“For me personally, with myself, I never really found excuses. I was tired. I just got home, ”he said. “Basically what it all means – do what you know you should be doing. I mean, common sense is just that. If you know, force yourself, and that’s the hardest part – forcing yourself to do what you already know.

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For more information on heart health, visit the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s page on How to Make Seven Healthy Choices in Seven Days.