Be Like Bill is a non-profit spreading awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and encourages everyone to ‘Be Like Bill’ and save lives.
Here is the transcript:
Ryan: Next up, before we introduce our headlining speaker this evening, he has requested that we share this video with you. So, we’re going to watch this, we’re going to, I think the sound is going to come through the TV, we’re going to do the best to make sure that everyone here in the room can hear it. So, let’s go ahead and play it.
Jeff: When I go for a run, it’s a stress release. It is a kind of disconnect from the crazy things that that are always going on in in life.
Bill: Typically, I get up shower, pet the dog, and then head into work.
Jeff: I was out for a run and I collapsed. Sudden cardiac arrest.
Bill: When I pulled up, I had no idea what was going on. He was lying on his back. I immediately dialed 911.
911 Operator: 911, what’s the address of your emergency?
Bill: Bay Hill Drive and Sugar Cay court. There’s a jogger who’s collapsed on the corner.
Bill: She kept asking, is he breathing? Is he not breathing? And I had identified at that point he was not breathing.
911 Operator: If there is a defibrillator available, send someone to get it now. Tell me when you have it.
911 Operator: There’s not, no defibrillator available.
911 Operator: OK.
Bill: And she had asked me to, then, I need to start compressions immediately.
911 Operator: OK, listen carefully, and I’ll tell you how to do chest compressions.
911 Operator: Count out loud so I can count with you, OK.
Bill: 5-6-7-8-9-10.
Bill: Usually you hear sirens and you’re afraid. The feeling of the sirens getting closer as I was doing the compressions was, you knew that help was on the way.
Brady: When we drove up, there was an individual already doing CPR or chest compressions on Mr. Utzinger.
Bill: He immediately came over, and within 30 seconds or less, I mean, he was already assessing the situation, hooking up the AED and getting Jeff ready to be shocked.
Brady: We did not have AEDs until a few years ago and it left us somewhat hamstrung on some of these calls. Now, since we all have AEDs in our cars, we can start rendering that aid much more promptly. The key to someone’s survival in a situation like this is rapid intervention of CPR and AEDs.
Brady: The hero in this situation is Bill. Recognizing that there was a problem and having the courage to stop and do something, having an AED increased tenfold. Mr. Utzinger’s chance of survival. The AED was put on relatively quickly and actually called for a shock which, believe it or not, is fairly rare, so we cleared and allowed for the shock and yielded good benefits.
Bill: I stopped, and things worked out very well, if that means that I’m a hero, that, I don’t know.
Jeff: I think heroes are very quick to say anybody would have done it and he’ll tell you all that, but he is a hero in every sense of the word.
Brady: We have become a society fearful of getting involved in situations, I think. Bill saw something and had the courage to do something.
Bill: I would do it again tomorrow and I would hope that everybody would.
Jeff: It was unlike anything I can explain, to know you’re hugging the person that, without whom, you wouldn’t be here and, or I wouldn’t be here for my kids, or my wife, and my family.
Jeff: We made-up shirts that say Be like Bill. Who wouldn’t want to Be like Bill? But it really speaks to be that person, be that Good Samaritan, that stops and that helps.
Ryan: So, everyone now it is time to introduce our headlining speaker this evening, Jeff Utzinger and Bill Schlies.
Jeff: First of all, there we go. That’s the shortest I’ve ever heard Mr. O’Malia speak ever, so, I mean, really, is that the shortest story you’ve ever heard him tell? That’s pretty good. I mean, remind me not to go after you if we ever get to do this again, I’m going to try to live up to that.
Jeff: So, Bill did 4 minutes of CPR. If he would have had one of your classes, maybe I could have gotten out of there a little a little sooner. I don’t know why it took 4 minutes. But yeah, you know, the story speaks for, the video, I think, speaks for itself.
Jeff: You know, the first things that came to mind once, you know, I have no memory of the event, no memory of that week in the hospital. So, I had to be told what happened, and so it was, you know, the first thing for me that went through my mind is what, what the heck happened? Cardiac arrest. I take really good care of myself. I was out for a run. Aside from the occasional Osiris here and there, I take pretty good care of myself.
Jeff: So, it was, what happened, realizing sudden cardiac arrest is an electrical issue. My heart’s perfectly fine. It’s still fine. I have no restrictions. This is just something that happened. Then I realized, or was told when I kind of looking into everything, that I had a 3% chance of living that day because my event was unwitnessed. When it’s witnessed, there’s still only a 6 or 7% chance, because people don’t act like this guy did, they don’t know, right? There’s not enough AED’s out there. It kills 365,000 people a year, 1000 people a day in this country die from cardiac arrest. Sometimes there’s a cause, sometimes there’s not.
Jeff: With mine, there’s still medical, no medical or physical reason that it happened. Happened to DeMar Hamlin. Circumstances were a little different. I wasn’t playing NFL football on a Sunday. That was a Monday night. His was blunt force trauma. But, same thing. He’s back at practice now. So, he’s, something just electrical. And then you, so, you process this stuff and then you, then I started to think, you know, why did it happen?
Jeff: So, what happened, and then it’s why did it happen? Maybe it’s to be a little bit more patient. I think that traffic coming down Keystone may have really freaked me out a little bit more a few years ago. I was a little bit more calm. My parents are here. They’re going to call BS on that one. But, I think I’m a little bit more calm, a little bit more laid back, so maybe it was God saying, you know, wake up, a wake up call. You know, I spent a lot of years chasing a paycheck, right? Chasing the money, chasing that next job, chasing a corner office, whatever it is, you know, Amanda, you put it beautifully. You know, that time’s a gift.
Jeff: I realized very quickly that you’re not guaranteed anything, right? So, we all have to make money. We all want to strive and run our business, as an addict, as you put it, Amanda, so well. And that’s all important, but don’t forget the small things. Don’t forget, you know, that it is a gift.
Jeff: You know, Bill doesn’t let us speak, Bill is the most humble guy. Bill won’t wear these shirts, so I guess I get why. I’m gonna make them, I’m gonna make up one that says, I am Bill, but, I don’t think you’ll, I don’t think he’s gonna, I don’t think he’s gonna wear that one either.
Jeff: This is a guy, this is the guy that, my parents right there, is the reason that that I’m still here. He is. Make no mistake about it. It was Danny and Rita’s daughter that pushed me to do something with it, and I’m doing it with Bill and some others now to create a nonprofit, Be like Bill, to do this kind of thing, to get the message out there, that it can happen to anybody. It doesn’t discriminate based on age or weight or gender at all.
Jeff: AED’s are required in health clubs and not required in China buffets, right? It’s not a physical, structural heart issue. It literally can happen to anybody. So, what are you going to do when you see it and that’s really our message, to spread this awareness and education.
Jeff: Life is short. Tell the people you love them before you leave. You’re not guaranteed anything.
Jeff: You know, it would be, you have to believe in something, whether it’s the God that we’re all kind of raised to believe in or something else, but the chain of events that happened that day. My daughter was watching Rita and Danny’s grandkids that day, I ran right past her.
Jeff: Ran right past her. I had my earbuds in and didn’t hear her. It happened 200 yards later. So, she had some guilt, right? If I could have just stopped you, well, maybe it happens in front of her.
Jeff: Like, God doesn’t give you anything that you can’t handle. Amanda, I think you’re proof to that as well. Mr. O’Malia as well, and Rita.
Jeff: God doesn’t give you anything he can’t handle.
Bill: So, I guess that’s my message. It’s just yes, what cardiac arrest is. Bill’s going to talk about his side in a few minutes, for a few minutes, for a few minutes, not in a few minutes.
Bill: Run out, run out of time, Jeff.
Jeff: I’m doing this on purpose, so this guy walks into a bar. No, I’m kidding.
Jeff: He’s the one with the story. So, I want him to say a few words but he’s a hero, so thanks for allowing us to tell our story.
Bill: Yeah. Thank you for having us here tonight. I had a little bit more prepared, but I’ll just go, you know. Jeff has, he’s up half the time or more anyway.
Bill: People always ask me, you know, being on that side of the equation, you know, how did it change your life? What does Be like Bill mean to you? And actually, it’s very humbling, like Jeff alluded to, I don’t, it’s very hard for me to wear a shirt that says Be like Bill, but, you know, it was very hard to talk about in the beginning. I didn’t really want anything to do with going out and telling the story because it was such an emotional event for me and in my life. But God gave me the opportunity that morning to make a generational difference.
Bill: The first time I met Roger and Maureen, Jeffs parents, Jeff is still in the hospital and that bond and hug and the tears would have filled the five-gallon bucket.
Bill: So, it was just hard for me to go over the fact and the emotion of sharing the story. But then, once you realize that, we do talks at university, we talk to the kids in health class, that we just want people to be out there and to be aware and to help other people.
Bill: I know, the officer said in the video. We come of a society that we’re afraid to help others, whether that be holding the door or whether it be putting a case of water in somebody’s car or whatever. Whatever it might be. It’s just that instinct to go out and help other people.
Bill: You know, that’s been just a blessing in my life, and people say, well, how does it feel? And I say, it feels like a treasure that you will never lose. It feels like success and fulfillment. And it feels like winning.
Bill: And you know, we talked about it relating to a business and we talked about a story and why did Jeff and I share the story first? People forget about bullet points and they forget about PowerPoint presentations, but they don’t forget about a story and I hope you guys don’t forget about this story tonight.
Bill: The three takeaways I have is be ready and willing to help when that opportunity arises. In your businesses, be a servant leader, lead by example. And as Jeff said earlier, God will never put anything on your plate that you can’t handle. Just be ready to handle it. And everything will work out great.
Bill: So, thank you very much. I know we have a minute. I’ll let Jeff wrap it up, but it’s a blessing to be here and thank you very much.
Jeff: Bill’s never told me to keep talking, by the way, ever, ever. Get your money’s worth? No. Really, all I have is just, thank you for listening.
Jeff: Ryan, Chris, this started Bob Popovich. We wouldn’t be up here with how you making this connection initially with Chris a few years ago, then then things kind of went sideways for everybody. But is does mean a lot to stand up here in, in front of you and doing with, now, somebody that’s my best friend. I kind of have to be friends with him now. Luckily.
Bill: The awkward thing is, though, he just runs around my house now, so, you know, it’s, the neighbors had to get used to it and everything, so it was a little bit little bit creepy at first, but we got through it.
Jeff: 4 laps is 2 miles.
Bill: But seriously.
Jeff: Thank you very much. God bless.
Bill: Thank you.
Ryan: All right, that was an awesome story, guys. Thank you very much.
