Dr. Fred Archer wants to bring more awareness about heart health after he experienced a heath scare.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — On Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, Dr. Fred Archer III was at the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse where he chaired CycleNation 2024. The event is aimed at stopping the cycle of strokes by raising funds for research.
He was there with hundreds of participants cycling away. Later that evening, while at home watching the Buffalo Bills play the Seattle Seahawks, something happened.
“The last thing I consciously remember is Tom, good lord, Tom Brady being on TV saying Josh Allen hasn’t thrown an interception all season and Josh threw an interception that was during the second quarter,” Dr. Archer said. “According to my wife’s phone, somewhere between 6:09 and 6:10, the Bills scored another touchdown. I jumped up to celebrate, and apparently that’s when I started breathing irregularly and turning some really not good shades of blue. My wife, being a nurse practitioner who was also certified in CPR, jumped immediately into action. And if it wasn’t for her quick thinking and quick actions, I would not even be here to be able to talk to you. And I have no memory of that, no memory at all,” he said.
Dr. Archer’s wife Melissa performed CPR and his 13-year-old son called 911.
The 52-year old doctor said it was a cardiac arrhythmia.
He said the symptoms can be vey dramatic or subtle.
“Our heart rate goes up and down and fluctuates, and normally within seconds our heart corrects it. We’re fine. It’s when it becomes sustained in an irregular pattern that it becomes a problem, and that’s what happened to me and whether it was, you know, doing that event that morning. I don’t think it was that. I think it was just this is what was going to happen that day,” Dr. Archer said.
Now, he wants to raise awareness about the importance of CPR training.
“Number one, making more people aware of knowing how to do CPR. Hands only CPR. It saved my life and that’s something anybody can learn how to do. We can teach young teenagers how to do that. I want to be able to make sure that young kids as young as 5, 6, 7 or 8, can they at least get to the phone. Even if that phone is locked. How to open that and call 911 and just to say this person who’s my caregiver needs help and here’s where we live. That simple. Minutes can change lives, ” Dr. Archer said.
He also emphasized that health literacy, especially post care, is also important.
“The recovery process is something that I don’t think has really gone over as well as it needs to. It’s not just a physical process. Things are going to be different. There’s a new normal you have to adjust to,” he said.
He and his family are looking to start a foundation to help others lean about CPR and post care.
“Beyond just a support group. Coming together to learn from each other and not just what we need you to do, but how to navigate getting your follow-ups, ” Dr. Archer said.
On Dec. 18, Dr. Archer and his family are holding a thank you event at SENSES MEDICAL WELLNESS on Genesee Street in Buffalo. They want to thank all who helped, including the Snyder Volunteer Fire Dept. and doctors.
Click here if you would like to donate to the Archer Community Heart Health Awareness Project.
Dr. Archer is the associate dean of admissions at the at Jacobs School of Medicine Biomedical Sciences. He also is a primary care pediatrician with Children’s Hospital.
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