What began as an evening out with friends turned into a life-threatening event that changed Dylan Bode's life forever. He had a cardiac arrest – but thanks to the excellent prehospital care he received at the scene and enroute to HCMC, Dylan is alive today pursuing an adventure of a lifetime. "Music and the nurses and doctors at HCMC saved me," insists Dylan, who is grateful for his care and recently shared his story with Minnesota Star Tribune reporter Jeremy Olson. On March 19, 2024, Hennepin EMS paramedics Clark Edblad, Nate King, Matthew McDonnell, Drew Kelly, and Michael Nistler arrived at the scene within minutes, took over chest compressions, got Dylan's heart back, and transferred him to HCMC where he was stabilized in the emergency department and critical care specialist Dr. Sydney Hansen assessed his condition.
"His lungs were in rough shape, and we needed to allow time for them to recover," explained Dr. Sydney Hansen, who also cared for Dylan when he was admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU). "He was given medication so his lungs could tolerate being on a ventilator and was heavily sedated – in a partially induced medical coma. We know when people have a cardiac arrest, they can suffer from brain injuries from not having enough blood or oxygen to the brain. The only way to know if this has happened is to wake up the patient and see what happens."
"There was a time – about a day after he was admitted – when I remember Dr. Hansen explaining that they were doing everything they could, but there was a chance that Dylan may not wake up, or if he did, he may have brain damage," said Aaron Bode, Dylan's husband. "That was so difficult to hear, but we knew we just had to wait." Two days passed and with Dylan's family by his side, his caregivers learned a lot about him. Very loved by his parents and husband, Dylan was a cribbage player and a huge Coldplay fan. "Since he was eight years old," said Aaron.
Chaplain Steve Grove suggested that they make his room on the MICU as comfortable as possible for Dylan as they withdrew some of the medications in anticipation of him waking up. "One of the first things you remember is that you don't remember," explains Chaplain Grove. "That is why it is so important to check with families and find out what can be done to make the patient's space healing and familiar. Patients wake up scared with tubes and wires in and on their bodies in unfamiliar and uncomfortable places. Surrounding them with familiar sounds, reassuring voices and comforting touch makes their transition back to renewing life less difficult. Their loved ones are there – and in Dylan's case, the music he loved was calling him back to the people and experiences that fill his life with joy." Coldplay played. And at the end of day three, Dylan danced. "Yes, he began to move – dance a little as he lay there in the ICU," said Dr. Hansen. He was dancing to the music – his favorite band." That's when the "magic" started, with help from the MICU team.
"There's a lot we don't know about what brains can perceive when they're sedated or in a coma, but we try to talk with patients and interact with them as if they can hear us – just in case," explains Dr. Hansen. "And I hope that all that stuff we don't understand about being in a coma can be impacted by these comforts of home as things evolve." Dylan was discharged a few days later with no complications or memories of his cardiac arrest event, but with a lot of gratitude for his caregivers in the MICU. "The therapists, doctors, lab technicians, everyone who helped me were just impressive. And nurses – they are the most underappreciated superheroes of the world. I want to thank each one of them – even if they were not involved in my care. They are amazing." Months later, Dylan and Aaron attended a Coldplay concert in New Zealand, where Dylan held up a sign saying: "Your music woke me up from a coma! Can we sing about this 'Magic' together?" An online video captures Dylan being called up on stage at the concert by Chris Martin and singing a duet in front of tens of thousands of people. "Coldplay's music got him through one of the hardest parts of recovering from a coma, as well as incredible prehospital and multidisciplinary care from our teams at HCMC," said Dr. Hansen. On Wednesday, December 18, Dylan was able to catch up with Dr. Hansen again and met the Hennepin EMS paramedics who saved him. They were amazed to see Dylan and how well he was doing. "We don't usually get to see patients after they've had a cardiac arrest, and Dylan was very sick," recalled paramedic Drew Kelly. "It is great to see him doing so well – and it is fun to hear about the Coldplay connection. We wish him well!" Life is for living, and that is exactly what Dylan is doing. He shared that this second chance at life has him focused on his music career, and we join Drew in wishing him health and happiness both on – and offstage.
