Jonathan Cedillo and Vanessa Sandoval with their daughter Juliette and the staff at Riverside Community Hospital.Photo: riverside community hospital
A California dad is crediting his newborn daughter for saving his life after her early arrival put him in the right place at the right time.
Jonathan Cedillo had no idea he was showing symptoms of aheart attackwhen he started to feel a shooting pain in his shoulder early last month, according to CW affiliateKTLA.
Thankfully, because Cedillo was already atRiverside Community Hospitaldue to his daughter Juliette’searly arrival, medical staff immediately recognized what was happening and were able to treat him before it was too late.
“[Juliette] saved me, and I will be her sentinel and guardian as long as I can,” Cedillo told KTLA. “She was born a month early. It was like, ‘I’ve got to get out of here so I can save my daddy.'”
On that day, Cedillo, of Jurupa Valley, arrived at the hospital to pick up Sandoval and their daughter when he suddenly had to lie down in the extra bed in Sandoval’s room due to “a terrible pain in his chest,” the release states.
After lab work and vitals were taken, doctors determined that Cedillo suffered a heart attack and had a 100 percent blockage on his left anterior descending artery, according to the release.
As it turns out, Cedillo, a professional wrestler, had been “feeling really bad and achy” since the day before, RCH said.
That evening, he had trouble sleeping due to pain in his shoulder and arm — something he assumed was from a training injury on his shoulder that he had sustained a few months back.
RELATED VIDEO: Dad Saves Son, 2, from ‘Dry Drowning’ After Reading About 4-Year-Old’s Tragic Death: ‘Their Little Boy Saved Our Little Boy’s Life’
Assuming the pain was lingering from that injury, Cedillo brushed off the shoulder pain this time. But thankfully, when things got worse, he was exactly where he needed to be.
“Had Jonathan not been at the hospital when this occurred, he would have had permanent heart damage, or worse,” RCH said, noting that the doctors eventually cleared his blocked artery and put in a stent.
Speaking to KTLA, Sandoval said of the ordeal: “It was very scary, and then to be told that he’s in the ER and he’s having heart attacks and he has been having heart attacks [due to a] 100 percent blockage, it’s a good thing he was at the hospital when he was having his major heart attack.”
Cedillo remained in the hospital for a day and a half before he was released to go home to Sandoval and Juliette on Oct. 13, according toThe Press-Enterprise.
Twelve days later, the new dad returned to RCH — but this time, it was to thank the staff for saving his life and giving him the opportunity to be around for his newborn daughter, the outlet reported.
source: people.com
