Jiri Fischer Brings Red Wings Friends Igor Larionov, Jason Wooley and Larry Murphy to Saginaw Spirit Charity Game
By Kyle Austin, The Saginaw News
Jiri Fischer doesn't hesitate when asked why he continues to come to Saginaw, year after year, to participate in the Shocks and Saves charity hockey game to raise money and awareness for cardiac health. His answer is simple.
"I'm alive," Fischer said.
After Nov. 21, 2005, that's a fact Fischer doesn't take for granted. On that day, while playing for the Detroit Red Wings in a game against the Nashville Predators at Joe Louis Arena, Fischer's heart suddenly went into ventricular fibrillation - a "shaking heart beat," as Fischer says. That soon turned into cardiac arrest, as Fischer's bloodflow ceased and he lost consciousness on the bench. The team's medical staff used an automatic external defibrillator to resuscitate him, after his heart had stopped for six minutes.
More than four years later, Fischer can look back on the event and talk about how lucky he is to be alive. The event has inspired him to become a strong advocate for heart health, as he works through his Healthy Hope Foundation.
Complete Story >> http://www.mlive.com/spirit/index.ssf/2010/01/jiri_fischer_brings_red_wings.html