On the morning of April 13, 2025, we first met Mark Gaddini when he went into sudden cardiac arrest. It’s because of his tenacity and the actions of responding personnel, we can celebrate his survival and recovery.
Our responding A-Shift crews were initially dispatched that day to a motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 98 and Mack Bayou Road. While enroute, SWFD dispatchers stated multiple Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies were on-scene and performing CPR with an AED in place.
Station 4 crews arrived to take over patient care and started Advanced Life Support interventions including additional defibrillations. After several minutes providing care in the ambulance, Mark eventually groaned and attempted to sit up. It was clear the medical care being provided was going to give him a chance to survive despite the circumstances and injuries sustained.
Since that day, Mark has overcome numerous physical and mental hurdles, but he continues to recover in our local community thanks to the work of all involved responders, physicians, and medical staff.
We had the incredible privilege to meet Mark again on Friday, July 18, at Station 4, where he assisted us in giving a Lifesaving Coin to each of his responders. This was an incredibly moving and meaningful reunion that reminds us of the real-life impact our actions can have.
As we met with Mark, he told us that he wants anyone reading this post to never ignore symptoms such as chest pain and to seek emergency medical care as quickly as possible.
His humility and compassion made this the sort of positive experience we all dream of experiencing after responding to such a critical call. Thank you to all who played a part in this story and special day, specifically the WCSO deputies who provided early and effective CPR to give Mark the chance he needed to live.
