Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Jessica Pegula, daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres co-owner, Kim Pegula, gave a substantial update regarding the health of her mother. Kim Pegula went into cardiac arrest in her Florida home in June of 2022.
The specific details regarding Kim's health come a little over a month after Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a game against the Bengals on Jan. 2nd.
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"I think it's a remarkable situation, coincidence that Hamlin came down with cardiac arrest and now Kim Pegula, has now been documented by the family, specifically Jessica Pegula, in regard to the fact that her heart stopped and CPR was received by her other daughter [Kelly Pegula]," said Dr. Laszlo Mechtler, Medical Director of DENT Neurological Institute. "And basically her life was saved once more, due to the fact that there are individuals out there who went out and took a course on CPR, which is something that we recommending for everyone."
Dr. Mechtler says that Pegula's situation is different than Hamlin. " [It's] two different disorders," said the doctor. "One was Commotio Cordis, which is what Hamlin went through, which is a traumatic chest injury and this is a spontaneous cardiac arrest. There's a major difference because Hamlin's heart is healthy, presumably based on all the examinations we've done. Her prognosis is based on what actually caused the cardiac arrest."
With minutes being the difference between life and death, it was very fortunate for Kim Pegula that her daughter was able to administer CPR. "The fact that it occurred with her daughter there and started CPR before the ambulance came, is very fortunate and be probably kept her alive," said Dr. Mechtler. "Without CPR, we're talking about a few minutes before significant brain injury occurs. So Jessica is right, her sister has saved her mom's life."
Based on the symptoms described by Jessica Pegula, significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues, Dr. Mechtler thinks that Kim may have suffered a stroke with the cardiac arrest.
"When you see this type of injury, she's really describing what we call Broca's dysphasia, or expressive dysphasia. That tells me that it was a focal injury to the brain, which may mean that she may actually have had a stroke, involving most likely the left side of her brain," Dr. Mechtler explains. "In this way, she has difficulty expressing herself, but she's able to understand and follow commands and able to write and read. So I think what may have happened is that she may have had a focal stroke, but it's very difficult to say, based on the description, what occurred."
Dr. Mechtler predicts based on what's being said of Pegula's recovery, combined with her tenacity and age, she will continue to improve. "This improvement could last over a year," said Dr. Mechtler.