Young Woman Reunites with First Responders and PVHMC Team Who Saved Her Life

In mid-May, Chino resident Jasmine Horn, 28, texted her boyfriend Adam that she had arrived at Cal Poly Pomona for his graduation ceremony, but when she didn’t arrive at their agreed meeting area, he began to worry. As he walked his mother back to her car, he happened to see Jasmine’s vehicle in the parking lot, and Jasmine was inside, unconscious. Adam quickly pulled her out and began CPR, along with a nurse who happened to be nearby, as bystanders called 9-1-1. Paramedics arrived and used a defibrillator to restore her heart rhythm as they transported her to PVHMC’s Emergency Department (ED).

“Adam arrived at just the right time,” says Floyd Horn, Jasmine’s father, and a Fire Captain at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. “He helped save her life.”

Due to the nature of her event, the ED care team at PVHMC deemed Jasmine a candidate for Targeted Temperature Management, a mild induced hypothermia therapy that can significantly improve survival and preserve brain function who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

The procedure involved placing a central body catheter into the core of her body and cooling it to 36° C (96.8° F) and maintaining that temperature for 24 hours. She then was warmed back to 37° C (98.6° F) and maintained at that temp for 48 hours. She was kept sedated and on a ventilator during the procedure to help keep her comfortable.

Jasmine’s family began to fear the worst. They didn’t know what made her pass out. They thought her recent increased exercise regimen may have caused her condition. The family rallied around her at the hospital. Every morning when nurses made rounds, they found Jasmine’s father sitting by her bedside. He was always kind and very supportive of the staff and appreciative of all the care that was given to his daughter.

“I remember hearing people telling me to breathe on my own,” Jasmine recalls. “My family had surrounded me in the hospital and just wanted me to wake up.”

A few days after being admitted, Jasmine began following simple commands and was still on the ventilator, but her blood pressure was better, and she no longer required some medications. She began to recover.

Nine days after coming to PVHMC, Jasmine was walking the halls of the hospital, slowly, but on her own. After weeks of testing, doctors discovered that a congenital heart condition caused her to lose consciousness.

In early June, Jasmine consulted with PVHMC cardiologist, Ramanna Merla, MD, and made the decision to have a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) placed. This device monitors the heart and delivers a shock to reset it if an abnormal rhythm is detected. Soon after her procedure, Jasmine was discharged home. She had spent nearly three weeks in the hospital.

"It's a miracle that Jasmine has made such a remarkable recovery in such a short period of time, she has defied the odds" said Tammy Freehling, RN, chest pain coordinator at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. "It's estimated that 60% of people who experience a cardiac event while out in public, unfortunately don't survive."

In mid-August, Jasmine, Adam and her family were able to experience a heartwarming reunion with the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) first responders and the doctors, nurses and staff at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) who saved her life.

Today, she continues her healing journey in physical rehabilitation, her vocal range has been affected from her extended time on the ventilator, so it’s hard for her to speak at length, but she continues to improve.

Jasmine looks forward to returning to work and school, where she is a Theatre Arts major at Cal Poly Pomona, with a focus in Lighting Technology. Passionate about theatre, she has been active in theatre production since middle school. She fell in love with the process as a child and never stopped pursuing it.

While Jasmine might still have a long road to recovery, there’s light at the end of the tunnel again.