On March 19th, my little brother Nolan had a heart attack out of the blue- at 32 years old. When it happened he was behind the wheel of his truck. There was a witness to the crash who dialed 911, however, Nolan was unresponsive. Minutes later MHP arrived with EMS shortly behind. Nolan recieved CPR for 15+ minutes followed by a shock. They managed to start his heart again. After being taken to Bitterroot Health, in critical condition, it was clear he needed more resources and was quickly life-flighted to St. Pats.

Nolan spent the next 48 hours on a ventilator. They placed him in a medical coma and cooled his blood to decrease possible inflammation on his brain and other vital organs. His family was told to brace for the worst, as it was unclear how long his brain had been deprived of oxygen. We didn't know if he would ever "wake up," and if he did, what, if any brain function he would have once he regained consciousness.

A MIRACLE happened almost 48 hrs later when Nolan was let off the ventilators and sedation- he woke up on his own, smiling and very clearly still himself, but completely unaware of the events that led him to be hospitalized. He experienced anoxic encephalopathy (brain damage) from the lack of oxygen to his brain during the incident; but has regained a phenomenal amount of cognitive function in just a few days, and his heart is doing well.

Nolan was diagnosed with Brugada Syndrome- a rare genetic heart condition affecting 1 in 2,000 people. It's typically asymptomatic- most people only receive a diagnosis after experiencing a cardiac event and becoming hospitalized like he did.

He has been given an SICD- a permanent device that will detect if his heart ever tries to give out again and shock it back into a proper rhythm.

Speaking of miracles- Nolan had absolutely zero injuries from the crash itself, or the CPR, which can leave people with broken ribs and set back recovery time.

We are so overjoyed to have Nolan back- this world would not be the same without him. He is the most loving and supportive father, husband, brother son and friend anyone could ask for!! He will recover, and we are so grateful that we get to have more time with his sweet self.

We want to thank the team at St. Pats, the first responders, and all the friends and family who have helped Nolan get through this unbelievable ordeal.

Nolan still has quite a journey ahead- we have no way of knowing how long it will take for his brain to fully heal, or when he will be able to return to his normal activities or work. Nolan and his wife Emily and 3 month-old son Nathan need our support, as Nolan is the main source of income for their household. Their Venmo is Bullen-family-25.

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