Denton County

Good Samaritans Save Denton County Man Who Suffered Near-Fatal Heart Attack

Some things just happen for a reason. How else could a chance meeting between strangers be explained. A meeting, which saved the life of a Cross Roads man.

"I truly think it was a miracle," said Davis McSpadden, a good samaritan from Sanger.  "God had his hand on all of us."

In January, Brandon Guffee and wife Shanda had gone four wheeling, and were driving back through Boliver. Shanda Guffee says her husband did not appear right, as they traveled on FM 2450.

"He looked at me and told me he loved me, and to call 9-1-1," she said.

Brandon doesn't remember any of it.  Shanda -- won't ever forget.

"I remember a lot of the details," she said. "I don't remember how I felt other than I was -- I just wanted my husband to be okay."

Her husband was having a major heart attack.

"To be honest with you, I thought you were a goner," said McSpadden, who lives nearby and was on his way home when Shanda Guffee flagged him down in a panic. He called 9-1-1.

"I said hey, don't we need to be giving him some CPR?" he said. "He said yes, you know how?  I said no!"

Davis flagged down another passerby, Russell Ceballos -- who he'd never met, but lives just a mile away.

"When I came around you were waving in the road," said Ceballos.

"You weren't gonna get by," laughed Davis.

The two administered CPR until help arrived. Firefighters from several companies arrived, including assistant Pilot Point chief Bryan Cox.  Denton County sheriffs deputy Brice Hicks wasn't far behind.

"I was worried about you, man," Hicks told Brandon Guffee.

"If you guys had not initiated CPR, we would not have had this outcome," said Cox.

Guffee was transported to the hospital.  He was unconscious for five days and spent several weeks there -- his bride -- by his side. His heart had stopped three times, and he suffered a stroke.

"I remember cussing at him at one point, when he was unconscious," said Shanda.  "I remember telling him, we're not done.  You can't leave me."

"Brandon: everybody keeps asking me how I'm doing, but to me it's just like I fell asleep and woke up at he hospital," said Brandon.

Fast forward to today.  Doctors have given the 37 year old Guffee clearance to return to work at his job as an IT business analyst. He plans to begin working again in April. Heart disease runs in the family, but he feels good. And he's thankful he could tell those who saved him -- how much he appreciates them.

"If it wasn't for y'all doing what you did, I wouldn't be here," he said.

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