Last month, father and son duo Rafael and Isaac Ruggieri were nearing the 8-mile mark of the 2024 Illinois Half Marathon when Rafael’s heart stopped beating and he collapsed onto the asphalt.
“He went on his knees and then on his hands and then onto his face, and I thought he just passed out,” Isaac told WCCU/WICS News.
Rafael had previously run the full marathon twice, and completed the half twice before as well with no problems. While training for this year’s race, Rafael had experienced a few fainting spells, but his doctors found nothing wrong when they ran tests.
Fortunately, 18-year-old Isaac had just completed a lifeguarding course the week before and was trained in CPR, so he immediately took action. When he checked his dad’s pulse and saw that he wasn’t breathing, he asked a bystander to call 911 and he began administering chest compressions.
“I just did it. Because I was like, ‘All right, this is go-time. This is it: save your dad or he dies,’” he said to WCCU/WICS . “I was just relying on my training and just focused on helping him as much as possible. So, I wasn’t really thinking about my emotions or anything.”
The father of five survived and is still recovering but told his local news station that he feels almost back to normal—all thanks to the life saving actions of his eldest son. Rafael is a general surgeon at Christie Clinic, and the close call he experienced during the race only furthered his belief that more people need to learn CPR.
“I can’t say enough about early and high-quality CPR,” he said. “...I mean, this is my 18-year-old son, and he was able to help save my life along with some others.”
It’s still unknown what caused Rafael’s heart to stop, but his condition is induced by exercise. He now has a heart defibrillator in case his heart ever stops again, and he’s back to running on a treadmill several times a week. He even has plans to complete some Spartan marathons this summer with Isaac, but knows he needs to start slow—he plans to walk—and remain cautious.
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
