I received sad news from @dagulrunner yesterday. There was an untimely and unfortunate death during the PSE Bull Run event held in BGC. His name is Romel Defeo, 35 years old, President of Sigue Correr Runners.
Below is the update from the club's FB page:
Cardiac Arrest due to Hypokalemia is the cause of death of our beloved President Romel Defeo. This is according to the people who tried to revive Kuya RD and the credit goes to Ace of Red Cross Manila, Dr. Jun - Cardiologist from Asian, Sir Stew, UST ER Staff Nurse and Dr Nina Beltran from Lung Center. According to Dr. Beltran "I wish we could have done more. I hoped we could have saved him. For the race organizers, I hope from now on doctors should be on site during races and not just medics. Few minutes of intervention is critical for saving lives. I am thankful for Makati Rescue for providing AED and adequate meds. I just wish the laryngoscope was working (i'm still beating myself up for not being able to intubate on time). I wish i had a flashlight. I wish I ran faster so I could have helped him a little earlier (5mins of arrest before I got to him) For fellow runners, it's always best to know your body and run safe. I pray for R D. I pray that this will be a reminder for all of us.
We thank all people who helped and assisted our teammate. We appreciate all the people of running community.
Hypokalemia is a condition of below normal levels of potassium in the blood serum. Potassium, a necessary electrolyte, facilitates nerve impulse conduction and the contraction of skeletal and smooth muscles, including the heart. It also facilitates cell membrane function and proper enzyme activity.
To Romel's family and friends, our sincerest condolences.
I am one of the PSE runners who was probably a few kilometers behind Sir Romel. On my way to the last 4KM, I saw commotion at the gutter near an intersection. When I saw him lying down, the rescuers giving him CPR and a dextrose already on standby, I felt sad. More so when I saw his face. So I paused and initially offered a prayer. I didn't want to add to the people in the area, so I just continued to pray. This is really sad. My love and prayers to his family and friends. - Michelle Nepomuceno
ReplyDeleteMy prayers and condolences to friends and family!
ReplyDelete