Why a man from Nebraska is grateful for a pothole that has not been filled: NPR



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Omaha, Nebras., Has lots of potholes. One of them stopped a man 's heart attack when the ambulance in which he was struck.



AILSA CHANG, HOST:

You know the old adage. When life gives you potholes, make a defibrillator.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Yes, it is not a thing. But let's go back a bit. Omaha, Nepal, has experienced, like much of the center of the country, a harsh winter. He had to repair a lot of potholes this year.

KELSEY STEWART: Between March 29 and April 4, they repaired more than 7,000 potholes. And again last week, they repaired 6,000 others. So it was a bit – trying to stay informed.

CHANG: Kelsey Stewart is a journalist at Omaha World-Herald. She spoke of a pothole that was not repaired.

CORNISH: And thank God.

CHANG: Yes, indeed. This is because this pothole may have solved a medical emergency.

CORNISH: Here is the story. An ambulance from the town of Gretna outside Omaha was heading to the Lakeside Hospital.

STEWART: They transported a patient with a high heart rate to a hospital in Omaha. And when they reached this pothole, her heart rate returned to normal.

CHANG: Stewart first read the incident on Twitter and confirmed it to the Gretna Fire Chief. Like any good journalist, she asked a doctor whether touching a pothole could bring the heart rate back to normal.

STEWART: He said that could happen even if he had never heard of a pothole. People with super ventricular tachycardia – their heart rate is fast and can be caused by many things, including a faulty electrical system in the heart, medications, stimulants And sometimes, when patients with this disease are shaken or surprised, their heart rate returns to normal.

CHANG: A response to the original tweet about the incident was read …

CORNISH: Do not worry, the city will charge for this procedure.

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