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"The Reason My Kids Still Have A Father" with Founder of Be Like Bill, Jeff Utzinger
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Jeff Utzinger is a father of three the founder of Be Like Bill and a survivor of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
In 2017 Jeff experienced Sudden Cardiac Arrest while out for a typical run in his neighborhood. He was lucky that Bill Schlies, an (at the time) unknown neighbor saw him lifeless on the ground and stopped. Bill called 911 who walked him through 4 minutes of CPR until a local cop showed up with an AED that shocked his heart back into rhythm.
The unknowns for that day around whether or not he was going to ever wake up and if he did, not knowing what his mental state would be is something we can't imagine his family and kids living through. Jeff says, "This has obviously changed me and how I view being a father - and it's the simple things that I appreciate more: watching them play sports, have success in the class room, getting to see my daughter in her prom dress, and the list goes on. Everyone always asks how I'm doing...no one ever asks my wife and kids - I have no memory of the event or the week in the hospital...they're the ones who lived through it, and I know it's impacted them as well - remembering and being empathetic to this has become a big focal point for me and my relationship with them."
Since that day Jeff has gone onto start the organization Be Like Bill.
We got to talk with Jeff about that day. Statistically speaking there's a 97% chance that Jeff should be dead. His experience is what's called an
Jeff talks about the impact this experience has had on his family and his kids. For him he was totally unconscious, he says "I had the easy job." His wife and kids had to live through it. While he was unconscious they had to live through the trauma of not knowing if he was going to wake up, when he was going to wake up, and what his mentality capabilities would be. Since the the doctors weren't sure how long Jeff had been down before Bill began CPR they didn't know how long his brain had been without oxygen. Jeff says when he finally did wake he was really frustrated with the situation. He didn't know what was going on and felt really agitated being so disoriented and the cause of so much concern for his family.
As he worked through the grieving and acceptance process Jeff began to move past "why did this happen medically?" and move into "why did this event happen spiritually and how am I supposed to use it?" Being a better father and husband absolutely has to be one of them.
Now he focuses on the quality of the time he gets. We all see tragedy everyday and then we see motivational posters and we got back on the hamster wheel. But don't let it take something like that to live with gratitude.
"If somebody's going to save your life, it's good that you want to hang out with them." Bill and Jeff still get together to this day. And his family loves Bill, but seeing him does bring back hard memories and emotions from Jeff's experience for his family.
Don't ever wish you didn't do the things you know you should.
Jeff had his Sudden Cardiac Arrest 200 yards from his daughter who was nannying at a neighbors.
Be Like Bill is about being a person who jumps in everyday to be a good person, a good friend, a good father. Bill represents that person who puts others first. We live in a litigious society, but jump in. Do what's right.
Email: jeffutzinger@sbcglobal.net
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