Medical student and police officers save a life against all odds

It was a chilly January morning when Karen Silverio suddenly collapsed as she was walking into work as a standardized patient at Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine. Standardized patients provide medical students the opportunity to practice their clinical skills but on this day, Silverio gave one student a real-life lesson in emergency care he’ll never forget.

That same morning, Rowan University police officer Patrolman Rachel Hare had been an officer for just six months and had just finished her morning briefing when a call came through dispatch reporting an unconscious female. Patrolman Hare and Sgt. Maurice Anderson arrived first at the scene where they found Silverio unconscious with no pulse and a purple complexion. Hare began giving CPR compressions. It was the first time she had ever performed this life-saving procedure on a person.

Moments later, Krzysztof Zembrzuski, now a fourth-year medical student at Rowan-Virtua SOM, pulled into the parking lot for his rotation in the Geriatrics department when he spotted Silverio on the ground with the police officers. He instinctively sprang into action to help the officers and rotate CPR compressions. Zembrzuski had given CPR to patients in the hospital before but never without direction from an instructor. “I stepped up to the plate because that’s what medical students do,” he said. Sgt. Steven Pew and Patrolman Marco Lombardi arrived with an AED (automated external defibrillator) machine and, after delivering electric shocks that didn’t bring back a pulse or heartbeat, the officers continued rotating CPR assistance.

There seemed to be little hope when paramedics arrived and transported Silverio to Jefferson Stratford Hospital. She had not been breathing for 45 minutes.

Zembrzuski tried to continue his normal routine but was emotionally vested in knowing the fate of the woman he tried to save. He went to the hospital to find out information and arrived as Silverio, surrounded by family, was being wheeled from the ER to ICU. He exchanged contact information with them, fearful of the outcome from everything he knew about a patient lacking oxygen for that amount of time.

Nine days later, Silverio, who had been in a coma and on a ventilator in the ICU, was released from the hospital with a full recovery. She was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called mitral annular disjunction and given a defibrillator and pacemaker. After her near-death experience, she was inspired to plan a CPR training for family and friends held on Saturday, June 3 at Rowan Medicine.

Watch: NJ woman saved by CPR makes it her mission to train others

Zembrzuski was touched by the miracle and realized “it doesn’t have to make sense, you just never give up on someone.” He credits the police officers for their quick actions and calm collaboration for saving her life. He hopes to secure an Anesthesiology residency and to be in a critical care setting where he can be in situations that need “in the moment” reactions.

Police officers, Rachel Hare, Steven Pew, Maurice Anderson, and Marco Lombardi were honored with a NJ CUPSA Life Saving award in a ceremony held on June 14 in Neptune, NJ.

Silverio says she is “forever grateful” to the dedicated police officers and medical student who never hesitated to fight for her survival. Her goal is also to educate doctors on mitral annular disjunction, a rare condition discovered in the late 1990’s in hopes to create awareness and preventative care for others. She is currently working with Independence Blue Cross Blue Shield promoting a podcast about her experience and diagnosis to reach a larger audience.