On Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, Michael Kreda was in a really great place.
He and his wife, Noreen, were preparing for a family trip with their kids and grandson, where their youngest daughter’s boyfriend planned to propose.
Michael, who was on the verge of turning 61, was at the Bernard Weinger JCC pool in Northbrook for his usual afternoon lap swim.
Then, when he was in the deep end, his heart stopped.
A sudden cardiac arrest during a routine swim
Noreen got a call around 4 pm from Ben Feinzimer, DO, an emergency medicine physician at Endeavor Health Highland Park Hospital.
“At first, I couldn’t believe it and asked, ‘Is this a joke? Where did this happen?’” Noreen said. “It was Dr. Feinzimer who said it was not a joke, to drive as fast as safely as possible and get myself to Highland Park Hospital because Michael went into cardiac arrest when he was in the deep end of the pool at the Northbrook JCC. That’s when I realized this was no joke.”
Why bystander CPR is critical during cardiac arrest
A fellow swimmer, Jim Pines, saw Michael in distress and pulled him to the shallow end of the pool, where JCC security guard Todd Kosloske and three other bystanders pulled him out of the water. Kosloske immediately began bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and continued until emergency crews arrived.
“That bystander CPR made all the difference,” Dr. Feinzimer said. “Even with the fastest responding fire department personnel, without bystander CPR, and then police involvement, the likelihood Michael would survive would have dropped significantly.”
Recovery after cardiac arrest and heart surgery
The last thing Michael remembers from that day was easing himself into the pool. He doesn’t remember regaining consciousness on Wednesday, Aug. 6, his 61st birthday. The next memories he can recall are from Friday, Aug. 8, four days after his cardiac arrest.
But Noreen has that week emblazoned in her memory.
“I have a picture of all the machines hooked up to Michael at the time; it still makes me cry because it’s unbelievable how much was required to keep him alive,” Noreen said.
One week after his cardiac arrest, Michael underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery at Endeavor Health Glenbrook Hospital.
He spent two weeks in the hospital recovering.
“Everything was a new layer of gratitude for me,” Noreen said. “I was happy they were able to revive him, that he was eventually able to communicate with no apparent brain damage. Every moment was a new layer of, ‘What’s going to happen next?’”
To Noreen’s delight and relief, Michael was on his feet the day after his bypass surgery.
“He was ‘Mr. Antsy,’ dragging all the nurses with him and all his equipment down the hall. He couldn’t sit in bed anymore,” she said. “Then he moved to a regular floor where he was walking laps and doing stairs.”
She credits the skill and compassion of the staff in the Glenbrook Hospital Cardiac ICU with enabling a quick recovery for Michael — and easing her mind.
“The sheer talent and expertise are unbelievable,” Noreen said. “Knowing they’re dealing with people at the worst of their worst moments and yet they still maintain their skill and express empathy. There were no fewer than 10 people standing outside Michael’s room every morning for rounds talking about his case, and we got to listen in. My mouth would just drop.”
His progress continued at home, where he started slowly by walking around the block. Within three weeks of surgery, he was walking 3 miles per day.
“Stay positive and take control of your recovery. Don’t become complacent,” Michael said. “You just have to be realistic. Yeah, I just had a cardiac arrest and I just had bypass surgery. But I wasn’t going to just sit in bed. I got up as much as I could to push myself. Not to the limit, but to get on the road to recovery. Getting on the road to recovery sooner rather than later makes the experience better.”
How hands-only CPR can save a life
The whole experience made the Kredas feel compelled to spread the word about bystander CPR. They conveyed this to Dr. Feinzimmer, who organized a training class at the JCC.
As people left the training, Noreen urged them to tell two other people how simple and important bystander CPR is to learn.
“I would much rather have broken ribs because you did CPR aggressively than be dead,” Michael said. “Just do something.”
Bystander CPR is also known as hands-only CPR, because it’s chest compression without rescue breathing. Administering bystander CPR can save someone’s life and preserve brain function when they suffer a cardiac arrest. Learn more and register.
“This point cannot be emphasized enough. In my nearly 20-year career as an emergency department physician, former firefighter, and 15 years of experience as an EMS physician, the instances where someone survives an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest almost universally include some element of bystander intervention,” Dr. Feinzimer said.
“It doesn't have to be a perfect delivery of chest compressions. It just has to be something. These events are amongst the scariest for any person, so reluctance to intervene is both understandable and common. But all it takes is one person taking one action and then others typically join in and help.”
One study showed people who received bystander CPR within 2 minutes of cardiac arrest were 81% more likely to survive and be discharged from the hospital and 95% more likely to survive without significant brain damage, compared to people who did not receive bystander CPR.
Cardiac arrest vs. heart attack: What’s the difference?
Cardiac arrest and heart attack are not the same.
Cardiac arrest is when the heart stops beating or isn’t pumping hard enough to effectively circulate blood to the brain. A heart attack happens when an artery becomes blocked, causing symptoms like chest pain and tightness. An untreated heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest.
Why learning CPR in your community matters
Things have gotten back to normal for the Kreda family, for the most part. While Michael has an implanted defibrillator that serves as a backup and peace of mind, he says he feels like nothing ever happened. He has returned to his usual exercise regimen, including lap swimming.
The family shares a new appreciation of how valuable, and fragile, life can be as well as gratitude for their community and those willing to dive in and help someone in need.
“My future son-in-law said to me, ‘Look, I don’t need a fancy vacation to propose to your daughter. I’d like to go ahead with it anyway. I know how precious life is and I don’t want to spend another moment without being engaged her,’” Noreen said.
And Michael’s back to a really great place.
“I’m looking forward to dancing at my daughter’s wedding,” he said.
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