Chillicothe resident, Robert Wilkison, woke up on Friday morning, January 2, feeling great and ready to head out the door to spend a vacation day helping his son Todd build a staircase in his new home. But at 8:30 am, moments before leaving, Robert suddenly had severe chest pain that would not go away.  He began sweating profusely and quickly realized he needed help.

Robert’s wife Nona immediately called 911 and within five minutes, paramedic, Dusty Jordan and EMT, David Coult, with the Chillicothe Fire Department, were in the Wilkison’s home examining Robert.

Jordan and Coult quickly saw that Robert needed to get to Kansas City.  They requested LifeFlight Eagle while still at Robert’s home.  Ten minutes later, he arrived at Hedrick Medical Center in Chillicothe where he was prepared for air ambulance transport to Kansas City. 

Before 9 AM, Robert was loaded into LifeFlight Eagle’s Bell 407 from Trenton, and was on his way to North Kansas City Hospital. 

Awake and alert, Robert recalls LifeFlight Eagle pilot, Joe Anthony, explaining the flight, assuring him the trip would be quick and smooth.  Robert says he was comforted by Joe’s caring tone as he wondered whether he would ever see his family, including his six grandchildren, again.

Nona started out right away for Kansas City by car and arrived at North Kansas City Hospital, with son Todd and daughter Holly, at 10:30 AM, at which time Robert was already in the recovery room having received two stents immediately after his arrival. He had survived!

Robert later discovered that the left descending artery in his heart was completely block, i.e., 100% occluded. This was cutting off blood flow and oxygen to the back half of his heart.  When this condition occurs, the left descending artery is commonly referred to as the ‘widow maker’ because it so often causes death.

At 57, Robert says he was sixty pounds overweight at the time of his heart attack. While in the hospital he was also diagnosed with Diabetes. 

He returned to the hospital in April and received a pace-maker.  Since January, he has lost sixty pounds by riding a bicycle and changing his diet.

Robert says he is very fortunate to have survived his ordeal.  He credits LifeFlight Eagle crew members, Shirley Arnold, flight nurse and Daryl Noll, flight paramedic, for helping to save his life. Today Robert is back to work with his employer of 32 years, Morton Buildings, and is particularly grateful to be back with his family.

Recently, Robert paid a visit to LifeFlight Eagle’s Trenton base to meet and thank our crew members.