SkyMed members John and Connie Gorman had just comfortably settled into their seats that Saturday aboard a Southwest Airlines direct flight from Phoenix to Providence, RI. Even though they were heading back east to say their good-byes to an old friend they were both feeling good. The plane was just cruising over Albuquerque airspace when John suddenly experienced blurred vision and then lost consciousness. Connie started hitting him to find his nitro while she screamed for help all.
Amazingly, there were two doctors on board who immediately stepped up to help. The plane’s defibrillator was brought out by the flight crew as the doctors tried to get John’s pulse and blood pressure. It was a tense time for both the crew and surrounding passengers, but especially for Connie and John. The pilot made the decision to divert the plane to Amarillo, Texas, and radioed ahead to have an ambulance and EMT team ready.
John was admitted to Baptist St. Anthony in Amarillo. They were able to stabilize him but could not diagnose the problem because they could not access John’s medical records in Phoenix. The attending physicians said the very best solution was to get John back to Phoenix as soon as possible. It was Sunday morning by the time Connie called SkyMed and was connected to Nan Steinberg. Connie had recently renewed their SkyMed membership through Nan. Connie said, “It was good to hear that familiar voice and know that SkyMed was there to help us. In just a few hours SkyMed had an air ambulance fly in and pick us up and take us back to Phoenix where John’s doctors had his medical records and knew exactly what had to be done to literally save his life.” John had had a heart attack earlier that year, and this was a complication that needed immediate attention.
The Gormans travel into Mexico regularly and bought their SkyMed membership to protect them during these travels. They never thought they would need SkyMed in Amarillo, Texas. Connie said, “The peace-of-mind SkyMed gives you and the cost savings it provides when the unexpected happens is just so worth it. We recommend SkyMed to everyone we know.”
