'God’s not done with me yet'

COEUR d’ALENE — Considering that he died a little more than a month ago, Jim Konegni was nothing short of a living, breathing miracle on Friday.

“I’m like Lazarus,” he said as he visited with Coeur d’Alene firefighters at Station 3 on 15th Street. “I'm a dead man walking.”

Only Jesus Christ didn’t call him out of a tomb after he was in it for four days. Konegni was only gone for about five minutes when firefighters delivered an electric shock that brought him back to the world of the living.

“Obviously, God’s not done with me yet,” the 76-year-old said. “So I’ve got something I’m supposed to do.”

On Friday, Konegni met the firefighters who responded to the call of a man down and people on the scene were performing CPR the evening of Sept. 24. 

"I sure appreciate you guys being there," he said. "I wouldn't be here talking to you guys if you didn’t show up. I wanted to thank every one of you guys.”

Firefighters were glad to see him up and around but deflected the credit.

“Your family did it. They got on you right away,” Capt. Joe Lind said.

Konegni had gone for a walk from his Fernan Lake Village home. He was joined by his son Jim, daughter-in-law Angie, and their two children, Jethro and Zoey.

Konegni and his dog Gracie were bringing up the rear when he collapsed. He remembers nothing of that day or the following days in the hospital.

“I guess I just dropped,” he said.

Son Jim Konegni heard his wife cry out.

“Pop’s on the ground,” she said and quickly began chest compressions.  A neighbor rushed to help and they continued CPR until firefighters arrived.

Jim Konegni said his father wasn’t breathing and didn’t have a pulse. It was a scary situation.

“We thought we lost him,” he said.

Firefighter and paramedic Lavoryn Nguyen said they took over chest compressions, cleared Konegni's airway and when he didn’t respond, delivered an electric shock.

“He began breathing again,” Nguyen said.

Konegni was taken to Kootenai Health, where he remained for four days before being released.

Nguyen said the CPR efforts before firefighters arrived likely saved Konegni's life. He said it took them about five minutes to get there. Without chest compressions, he said “that’s five minutes he’s not breathing and no blood is moving.”

Nguyen said it’s rare for someone to suffer cardiac arrest, stop breathing for that long and make a full recovery.

“It’s like .1% out of all cardiac arrests,” he said. “Getting someone back like this is just about all you can ask for.” 

Konegni was supposed to receive physical therapy for several weeks as part of his rehabilitation program.

“But I didn't need it for more than a week,” he said proudly.

Konegni, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War, is retired from the Fullerton School District in Orange County, Calif. His family moved to North Idaho earlier this year. He has already returned to working on cabinets in his shop.

“My ribs are still healing. Otherwise I feel pretty good,” he said.

Jim Konegni said he was fine before he collapsed. He walks often and works out at the gym four days a week. 

"I had no pain. I didn’t have any shortness of breath," he said. "It’s just one of those things. It just happened.”

He said he doesn’t usually have company on his walks, but was glad he did that day.

“If I’d been by myself I would have been a dead man,” he said.

His son agreed.

“By the grace of God he wasn't alone,” he said.

Having his father “means everything,” Jim Konegni said.

“Here he is, a miracle, fully recovered,” the son said.

Jim Konegni said dying and returning to life has strengthened his faith. 

“It makes you think, is there something I need to be doing?” he said.

   Jim Konegni poses on Friday at Station 3 with Coeur d'Alene firefighters who responded when he suffered cardiac arrest in late September. From left, Erik Loney, Lavoryn Ngugen, Konegni, Lee Holbrook, Joe Lind and Keith Benz.
  

    Jim Konegni holds daughter Zoey as he shakes the hand of a Coeur d'Alene firefighter Lee Holbrook on Friday and thanks him for helping to save his father's life in September. Looking on is firefighter Steve Jones.