Beyond the Hospital Walls: An East Jefferson Nurse Rushes Into Action During Sudden Cardiac Arrest—and a Life Is Saved

Rose Martin, RN, has been a nurse at East Jefferson General Hospital in Metairie, La., since 1999. She works out faithfully at Planet Fitness in Kenner, La., where her routine includes a full hour of cardio on the treadmill. She said the time helps clear her mind and truly calms her.

But on September 6, 2025, Rose’s calm was abruptly interrupted by a loud thunk. With just two minutes left on the treadmill, she was already thinking about what she needed to do next when she noticed a man a couple of machines over bending down. She didn’t think much of it—until she glanced back a few seconds later and saw that he hadn’t moved.

That’s when Rose’s more than 27 years as a registered nurse kicked in. She grabbed her phone, and when she couldn’t get a signal, she ran to the front desk to have someone call 911. She then rushed back to the man, who was “clearly gray and not breathing,” she said.

Out of the blue: sudden cardiac arrest stops Mihir Shah

Mihir Shah, 55, works in the wholesale tobacco business and moved to Kenner, La., from India in 1993. He married Sejal and raised two children, now adults, with his wife of 33 years.

On September 6, he said he had finished his weight and abdominal workout and was wrapping up his usual cardio session on the StairMaster. He had climbed 100 floors in 17 minutes, his heart rate nearing 160, and was just minutes away from leaving the gym.

He remembers all of that clearly. But the next few hours are a mystery to him. He has heard the story many times but still can’t believe it.

Without warning, Mihir collapsed.

“I didn’t feel anything,” Mihir said. “No pain, no shortness of breath, no uneasiness. One moment I was working out, and the next thing I knew, I was in the hospital.”

That’s when Rose, along with two other nurses who happened to be at the gym (including a former East Jefferson General Hospital Intensive Care Unit nurse), noticed Mihir. Rose recognized him—she had seen him and his wife many times during her workouts.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Rose has responded to countless emergencies inside the hospital. This one felt different.

“I heard a loud thump and thought someone dropped weights,” said Rose, a nurse in East Jefferson General Hospital’s Mother-Baby Unit. “Then I realized the man on the Stairmaster wasn’t moving.”

When she returned to the scene and realized he wasn’t responsive, she and another nurse lowered him to the ground.

“I knew we had to act immediately,” she said.

She checked for a pulse. There was none. Mihir was not breathing. His lips and face were pale and dusky gray, Rose recalls. One nurse started compressions; Rose began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It was the first time she had performed CPR outside of the hospital.

“Outside of the hospital, a code is completely different,” she said. “Your breath is the oxygen on the wall. There’s no monitor telling you pulse or oxygen levels. I have never experienced anything like it.”

The gym manager brought an automated external defibrillator (AED). Rose placed the pads and delivered two shocks. The nurses continued CPR without stopping. When police arrived and told them to stop, they refused.

“We knew if we stopped, he would die,” Rose said.

They continued CPR for 10 to 15 minutes until EMS arrived and took over.

Continuity of Care at East Jefferson General Hospital

Mihir was shocked multiple times by EMS before his heart rhythm returned. He was transported to East Jefferson General Hospital, where his wife and children were waiting.

Initial testing showed no obvious cause. The next day, cardiologists performed an angiogram and discovered his right coronary artery was 80 to 90% blocked. A stent was placed immediately.

Mihir spent four days in the hospital and was discharged with a heart monitor to be worn continuously for 90 days. Follow up testing and cardiac rehabilitation showed normal heart function.

“Doctors told me they could not believe I had a sudden cardiac arrest just weeks before,” Mihir said.

Recognition rooted in service

In the days after the event, Rose assumed Mihir had not survived. “I went to church and prayed for him and his family,” she said.

The next morning, while working at East Jefferson General Hospital, she received a call telling her he was alive. Mihir later contacted hospital leadership to ensure the nurses’ actions were recognized.

Rose Martin has since received a DAISY Award and was nominated for the Great 100 Nurses of Louisiana. Her supervisor describes her as a nurse who has spent more than two decades at the bedside by choice.

“She manages the most complex cases with compassion and tenderness,” her supervisor said. “She advocates for her patients and supports her team. What she did that day (saving Mihir) reflects who she is every day.”

A second chance that changed everything

Today, Mihir is back at the gym daily and has completed cardiac rehabilitation. He calls his survival a miracle.

He now splits his workouts between 45 minutes of weights and 45 of cardio.

“I believe my workouts strengthen my heart,” he said. “This happened to me at the age of 54. I had been working out for years. I thought I was good. Nothing would ever happen to me. I eat clean and work out regularly. Of all my friends, no one could believe I experienced sudden cardiac arrest.”

“If it were not for Rose and the other two nurses, I would not be alive,” Mihir added. “God sent me three angels.”

For Rose, the experience was both extraordinary and simple.

“I saw someone in trouble,” she said. “My only thought was to keep him alive. Every life-saving method you attempt on a person is so valuable and every second is crucial to benefit the outcome of the situation. I’m so honored and overcome with emotions. It’s such a rewarding feeling to know that I was a part of Mihir’s second chance at life.”

This story is a powerful reminder that nursing doesn’t stop at the hospital doors—and that quick action, teamwork, and persistence save lives.