SPICEWOOD, Texas (BP) — Eddie Nostrand isn’t the type to use words like “miracle” lightly. But sometimes things happen in a specific order in a specific way, bringing people together at a specific time. There are just events that coincidence has a tough time covering.
Nostrand and his sons, 13-year-old Elijah and Joshua, 15, were scheduled to spend July 8-12 with other church groups at Highland Lakes Camp and Conference Center south of Austin. Because Hurricane Beryl looked to make travel from their home in the Houston area difficult, they decided to arrive a day early on Sunday, July 7.
Their original plan had been to arrive Monday night. Now with a full day to take advantage of the camp’s amenities, some went to the pool or other game areas. Joshua headed to the basketball court to shoot some hoops. Eddie and a few other adults chose the air conditioning of their cabin.
“I was sitting in the cabin, talking with the youth pastor and another volunteer when a camp leader ran in and shouted that he needed the youth pastor for this group,” Eddie said. “One of the students had passed out at the basketball court.”
All three got up and ran to their car. Before getting in, Eddie asked the camp worker the student’s name.
“Joshua Nostrand,” said the employee.
“My heart just dropped,” Eddie said. “The car couldn’t get there fast enough.”
Upon arrival he saw his son to the side of the court “just kind of moving uncomfortable with his eyes closed, almost trying to push people away from around him,” Eddie said.
What he didn’t know was that his oldest child had gone eight minutes in cardiac arrest.
Matter of moments
Highland Lake’s camp health officer Bobby Mataska was working behind one of the buildings when he heard the news.
Addy Hale, one of the college students he trains as a health technician, alerted him that a boy had passed out near the basketball court. Mataska glanced at his phone. It was 1:50 p.m.
“I got over there, knelt down beside him and realized CPR was needed immediately,” said Mataska, 61. Experience from 33 years with the Wichita Falls Fire Department and 38 as a certified EMT told him the teenager was in cardiac arrest.
It was a look he had seen often in his career before retiring six years ago. Not blue in the lips, but a certain kind stare.
“I told Addy to get the AED and started CPR compressions,” he said. He added the BVM – bag valve mask – over Joshua’s nose and mouth.
A call went to 911. The time was 1:52.
Over the last year Highland Lakes had received six automated external defibrillators (AEDs) from “Living for Zachary.” The organization was founded in honor of 16-year-old Zachary Schrah, who collapsed and died without warning during football practice in Plano in 2009. Because of the camp’s size, the point was to have an AED within two minutes of any location.
“That placement is paramount,” said Mataska. “I’ve done this for many years and it’s important for someone with experience to be around for these situations.
“You need someone who can make the right decisions quickly. Every second counts.”
The AED pads diagnosed Joshua as being in in cardiac arrest and delivered a defibrillator shock. Mataska then continued chest compressions, other camp workers arrived to assist with bag valve compressions. Every two minutes the AED gave another diagnosis as chest compressions continued and everyone waited on first responders.
At 2:02 Mataska noted a faint pulse and stopped CPR. Joshua was also breathing on his own. The fire department arrived shortly thereafter, as did a helicopter, which whisked Joshua away at approximately 2:17.
At one point Eddie approached as Mataska was speaking with an officer, telling the officer the teenager had suffered cardiac arrest and didn’t have a heartbeat for several minutes. That’s how Eddie learned the seriousness of the situation.
Time and place
“You feel helpless,” he said. “As a father, you want to be able to get in there and do something, but there’s nothing you can do. So you watch and pray that he’s going to make it.”
His wife, Bianca, was 36 weeks pregnant at the time. Eddie decided not to call her until he knew for sure their son was going to be OK.
At Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Joshua recognized his father’s voice and apologized for exhausting himself in the heat.
The heat had nothing to do with it. After tests revealed no brain damage, a cardiologist noticed something unusual in a scan of Joshua’s heart. Called anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA), it is the second leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes.
“In Joshua’s case, the artery that is supposed to be on the left side grew into the lining of the aorta all the way to the right side,” said Eddie. “When his blood pressure would go up, it put pressure on the lining of the aorta and basically pinched it. It was a ticking time bomb.”
Had the Nostrands gone with their original plan, Joshua would not have been within two minutes of a retired EMT with 35 years’ experience and an AED device. As he lay on the ground at the basketball court, Hurricane Beryl was making landfall in Houston. Getting him the help in time to survive would have been nearly impossible.
Also to be considered: Mataska had not originally planned to be at the camp when Joshua passed out. Carlos Mery, a surgeon who specialized in addressing AAOCA, also happened to be at the hospital when Joshua arrived and was available to perform surgery the next morning.
Highland Lakes executive director Norman Flowers praised the actions of Mataska and his health technicians.
“Bobby trained our summer staff in emergency procedures, and they performed exceptionally well,” he said. “Through his leadership, training and actions played a vital role in saving a young man’s life. But we saw a miracle of God move as everything protected this young man so that he would continue to shine God’s glory.
“As we move forward, we are committed to enhancing our safety protocols and fostering a culture of preparedness, guided by the lessons learned from this incident. Our faith continues to motivate us, reminding us that God moves in preparation and His spirit provides healing in our spiritual and our physical lives!”
John Bailey, camp director of operations, agreed.
“There are just too many coincidences to this story,” he said. “I’m grateful for my team, but it just seemed like it was one of those God stories.”
Eddie, Joshua and Elijah had arrived early to spend time with friends from Redeemer Church in Tomball, Texas. Redeemer is the sending church for Harbor Church in Magnolia, where Eddie is going through the qualification process to be an associate pastor. Harbor Church launched in January.
Joshua returned home, his days now including checkups with a cardiologist. He also has a new brother in Maverick Cole Nostrand, born on Aug. 17.
“I just felt like I was going to sleep,” he said of the moment he passed out. “Like I was drifting toward some kind of blackness and lifted off, then I was coming back down … and could hear voices.”
The last month-and-a-half, obviously, have impacted him.
“There are two major things,” he said. “Tomorrow isn’t promised. I could die at any given moment. Secondly, God was gracious enough to save my life and I’m here with my family. I can now share that message.”
