A completely healthy footballer survived more than 15 minutes without a heartbeat after collapsing on the pitch.
Samuli Kukkonen was warming up before a match when, without warning, he suddenly fell to the ground.
“After a few minutes, my teammates realised I was not moving,” the 27-year-old said.
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“So they gave me CPR and called an ambulance.”
More than 15 minutes passed before his heartbeat returned.
“I got CPR from my teammates, and when the paramedics arrived, they used a defibrillator,” Samuli added.
“After the second shock, my heart started working again,” he said.
All Samuli remembers about the ordeal is waking up in a hospital in Helsinki, Finland, surrounded by loved ones.
“They kept me there for two weeks to run tests and make sure I was fine.
“They put a pacemaker in me to help my heart, gave me medicine, and sent me home after the tests,” he also told Need To Know.
The scare happened back in May while Samuli was warming up with JäPS United ahead of a lower-division match in Järvenpää.
He describes his three-month recovery as “good for me”.
“I had a lot of time to reflect on what happened, and I had great support from my family and friends to help me get back to life,” he said.
“My girlfriend and I have four dogs who helped me get back on my feet and into sports.”
Samuli began playing football at four and started coaching at 13.
Since turning 18, he has focused more on coaching but still plays, “more as a hobby to keep myself fit and socialise with friends”.
He considers himself fit and healthy and has never experienced any issues before the sudden cardiac arrest.
“The reason is still unknown,” he said. “What we know is that it has nothing to do with my lifestyle or choices. It is not a normal gene mutation, but it might be a rare mutation.”
Cardiologist Tapio Aalto explained how he survived more than 15 minutes without a heartbeat.
He told local media: “With effective chest-compression and rescue-breathing resuscitation, it’s possible to maintain blood circulation enough to allow time for further measures.
“In this case, the shock from a defibrillator.”
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