Members of the Minnesota State Patrol were reunited this month with a man whose life they helped saved. Their part required timing, speed and just a little luck. And, maybe some really fast cars. Because what they were carrying was more precious than most of what was transported in a police car.
They were racing a new heart about an hour away for transplant surgery. John Neuenschwander, the 73-year-old transplant recipient, met with Lt. Mitch Elzen and troopers Quentin O’Reilly and Mike Pevear, months after they drove his new heart from the Twin Cities area to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
The meeting came months after Neuenschwander went to the hospital in late October in cardiogenic shock. His heart wasn’t pumping enough blood to keep his organs functioning properly, said Dr. Mauricio Villavicencio, surgical director of the Heart and Lung Transplant Program at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
John Neuenschwander posing with the troopers who helped deliver his new heart. L-R, Troopers Quentin O’Reilly, Lt. Mitch Elzen and Mike Pavear. Photo by Devin Krinke/KARE
He needed a heart transplant and Villavicencio knew time was of the essence since surgeons have about four hours after a heart is removed to give it to another patient. Villavicencio reached out to the Minnesota State Patrol to see what they could do to help them get the heart to his facility. He spoke to MSP dispatchers, who relayed information to Elzen, the on-call supervisor that Sunday night.
Normally, medical staff will travel in one vehicle while state troopers drive close by to escort them. The medical crew transporting the heart during evening rush hour that night got stuck on a stretch of highway, a spokesperson from the Mayo Clinic said. Elzen didn’t think being in separate vehicles was the safest option this time around, so he suggested medical staff ride in the back of patrol vehicles so state troopers could drive them there quickly and safely.
There’s a lot of construction going on this summer and this fall,” Elzen said.
“They didn’t have a whole lot of time. They were already running behind on time trying to get that heart down to Rochester ASAP and get it implanted in the recipient.” Elzen checked in with troopers to see who was available to help and caught Pevear, who was about 2 miles away from where medical staff was waiting in the metro area with the heart.
Pevear was the first to meet medical staff and transport the heart. He spoke to O’Reilly to coordinate a meetup. He let the medical transport company know where he was and turned his emergency lights on so they could find him. Once the medical transport company arrived with the heart, the employee got into Pevear’s car with the heart in tow and they took off.
John Neuenschwander shares stories of his growing up years, while his partner Ruth Ann Halls looks on. Photo by Devin Krinke/KARE
“I was on the first leg and then I made my way down to the district line, which is in Cannon Falls,” Pevear said. “That’s where me and Quentin met up and we took it out of my car and put it in Quentin’s car.” They’ve helped transport blood before but never a heart, the troopers said. Pevear said the experience was different and “kind of surreal.” Traveling between 80 and 100 miles per hour with their lights flashing and sirens blaring, they were able to get to Rochester safely and quickly.
“e were in the position where we were … just a quick few phone calls away.”
O’Reilly and the medical transport employee he was escorting to the Mayo Clinic just over an hour after his lieutenant got the call. The lieutenant and troopers met Neuenschwander after he recovered. O’Reilly said it was great that they got to meet him and it was nice to see that he’s healthy and doing well. “Thankfully, we’re trained to drive fast and safely and it turned out to be something super great for the patient because now he’s healthy and on the mend,” O’Reilly said.
Neuenschwander said he is glad his new heart was able to be delivered safely to the hospital in Rochester that night and said “it takes a village” to get things done. “The time was limited,” he said. “My heart was failing and hearts only last so long.” Watch below to see these troopers race their way to helping save a life.