MILLCREEK, Utah — A Utah man was reunited with a group of guardian angels who saved his life when his heart stopped in traffic two weeks ago.
The last thing Greg Nelson remembers was that he was driving in Millcreek. He doesn't remember anything about his heart stopping, or even the hours and days leading up to it.
But now that he has recovered and met a team of his guardian angels, he says he will never take another day for granted.
At the reunion, there were happy hugs, smiles and a few tears shed - all celebrating Nelson's recovery.
“Wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Aimee and for all the first responders that were on the scene…I’m incredibly grateful," he reflected.
Aimee Broadbent was the first person in a chain of individuals who noticed something wrong and jumped into action.
“I didn’t know what to do at that point but I knew I needed to help him, that he needed help," she recalled.
Broadbent was stuck in traffic in Millcreek on the evening of June 16 due to a white SUV that was moving very slowly in her direction.
“I thought he was trying to attempt to make a left-hand turn," Broadbent remembered. "Only he was not turning he was just going very slow, and then he slumped over in his vehicle.”
She jumped into action., honking her horn, calling 911 and then stopping Nelson's SUV with the help of another driver.
The pair put the car in park and waited for responders to help. Unified Police Department Patrol Officer and Army veteran Adam Melnitsky knew the seriousness of the situation.
“He didn’t respond to any type of stimulus, so I pulled him from the vehicle, checked his breathing, didn’t seem like he was breathing, so I made sure his airway was clear and then I started chest compression,” he explained.
Other officers and paramedics soon arrived and were able to stabilize Nelson and get him to the hospital.
With the diligent work of other medical professionals, Nelson woke up in time to enjoy another Father's Day with his children.
“It took everyone in that chain to make everything work just perfect and get the most positive outcome," explained Dave Merino with the Unified Fire Authority. "Without any one of them, the outcome probably would’ve been different.”
The miracle is especially profound for Nelson because a year ago, on Father's Day, he lost his beloved wife due to a battle with cancer.
"I say a lot of things to my kids regarding their mother and wanting to be with her and what not but I will never do that again," Nelson reflected. "My kids went through a lot these past few days and I am forever grateful for what they did to kind of hold things together.”
