A local doctor became a Chicago Marathon hero after halting a previous run in Berlin, Germany to rescue the life of someone who had gone into cardiac arrest. NBC Chicago’s JC Navarrete reports.
A Chicago-area doctor is celebrating after completing a marathon just minutes after saving a man's life who had gone into cardiac arrest.
While runners across the globe just finished competing in the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, local physician Dr. Eliza Pierko is still processing a tumultuous few weeks following a different marathon race.
Pierko ran in the Berlin Marathon in Germany just two weeks ago in her first race since a fractured leg sidelined her from running for several years, even being told by doctors that she would never be able to run again.
Determined to overcome her injury, Pierko laced up her sneakers and signed up for the Berlin Marathon, unaware of the impact she would have while on the course.
At mile marker 21.5, Pierko observed a man who was laying on his side while motionless.
Pierko, a licensed primary care sport medicine physician at Loyola, is no stranger to tending to injured athletes, but had never sprung into action while competing herself.
"The runner started to turn blue and purple and he stopped breathing," Pierko told NBC Chicago.
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Pierko and another witness then performed chest compressions on the man for over four minutes until help arrived. In shock amid the traumatic experience, Pierko returned to the course.
Just a half-mile ahead was her husband, recording her running the marathon when he was told by Pierko what she had just done.
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"Adrenaline just kicked in so fast, I didn't feel anything. I don't know where I found enough energy to do it, I was surprised myself," Pierko said.
Pierko has previously helped dozens of patients through CPR and believes anyone who was familiar with the practice could have jumped in and helped.
"Any CPR is better than no CPR. Even if you think you're not good at it, you can jump into action and you can help your fellow runner. You don't have to be a doctor to save a life," Pierko said.
The condition of the man Pierko saved was unknown, however there were no deaths reported at the Berlin Marathon.
As for Pierko, she went on to not only complete the race, but also shatter her personal best marathon time.
