Philadelphia

Teacher Running Again After Collapsing During Blue Cross Broad Street Run

For most people, the Blue Cross Broad Street Run is simply a race -- a competition. But Philadelphia’s 10-miler proved to be more than just a test of endurance for some people.

Elementary school teacher Joe Maguire, 33, was about 2.5 miles into the Independence Blue Cross-sponsored event when he felt some numbness in his legs.

“Leading up to it, the whole day felt completely normal,” Maguire said. “I thought of [the tingling] as a little cramp, slow down a bit, maybe it will go away.”

The next thing he remembers is waking up in an ambulance, strapped down. An EMT explained to him that his heart had stopped beating and that they shocked him and brought him back.

“A family member received a phone call, and then I checked my phone, and I had a text saying ‘Your loved one had an accident, please meet them at Temple Hospital,'” said Lauren Maguire, Joe’s wife.

A nurse at Penn happened to be running past Joe soon after he collapsed and immediately stopped to help. She began performing CPR alongside a few other racers, including a doctor who had also stopped.

The doctors at Temple University Hospital placed a defibrillator in his left side, just under the skin.

“That will watch his rhythm 24 hours a day and if it ever detects a fast rhythm it will deliver a shock to his heart that will return his heart to normal within seconds,” said Dr. Josh Cooper, one of Maguire’s cardiologists.

Maguire has since undergone genetic testing and a follow-up exam, and they’ve all come back completely normal. He has not had any complications, and doctors are running more tests to try to discern the true cause of the incident.

Today, Maguire is getting back into a more regular exercise schedule.

“I started running a mile every day down the shore.”

Maguire said he was put at ease a bit because he trusts the defibrillator. He tries not to worry too much about it happening again.

Cooper added that the people who came to Joe’s aid are the real heroes, prime examples of what to do when a situation like this arises.

“When someone passes out in public, people need to take action.”

As for Joe’s outlook, his wife explained, “He loves life and he appreciates what he has and shows that every day.”

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