By Sarah Stultz
Albert Lea Tribune
ALBERT LEA, Minn. — For many decades, Albert Lean Don Hauge worked day in and day out as an EMT and paramedic, responding to people in need of emergency medical care.
He also managed the ambulance service for Albert Lea for a time, led education for many of the area’s first responders and in recent years has served as director of Southeastern Minnesota Emergency Medical Services, continuing his support of first responders in a different role.
But last October, Hauge was on the receiving end of his fellow first responders’ care after suffering a major life-threatening medical incident.
Hauge remains hospitalized though is making progress at the Mayo Clinic Health System’s Cannon Falls campus after suffering a saddle pulmonary embolism, in which a large blood clot lodges at the bifurcation of the pulmonary artery, obstructing blood flow to both lungs.
Hauge had suffered a heart attack previously in 2018 and ended up getting five stents at that time. He said he did well after that, but in 2020 he was diagnosed with a muscle disease called neurotic acute myositis, which caused weakness in his limbs and trunk. He would have a hard time lifting anything or getting up from a kneeling position. In Rochester he was treated with an infusion every four to six weeks to help his weakness.
In August or September, he said his doctor saw there was a trial for a medication for his disease, which collected T-cells from his body and sent them off to a company in Pennsylvania, where they are genetically altered and then returned to him. Once back in his body, the cells are designed to attack the problems in the body.
Hauge said he got his cells back Sept. 20 and had stayed in Rochester for five weeks without any major problems, other than seeing an increase in weakness. At that time he was having to use a walker to move around, had trouble getting in bed and had to buy a lift chair to get up and down out of his seat.
He returned home Oct. 22 or 23, and just a few days later on Oct. 27 is when the embolism occurred.
He said he was getting ready for bed at about 8:30 p.m. that day and his wife, Traci, was helping him take his socks off. She said he told her he didn’t feel good and then collapsed on the bed.
She called 911 right away, after which Albert Lea police and firefighters and Mayo Clinic ambulance crews arrived and started CPR.
Albert Lea Police Officer Dylan Callahan said he was the first one on scene and at the time had been over on Main Street near McDonald’s before he heard the call and headed to Hauge’s house. He tried to get Hauge’s vitals and figure out what was going on and radioed that information back to the dispatchers.
At first Hauge was sitting on the bed talking to his wife, but by the time the second officer arrived “things went a little bit sideways,” said Callahan, who has worked for the department for about a year and a half.
Firefighter Brandi Krenz said she didn’t recognize the address at first when the call came in, but the closer they got to the house, she knew exactly where she was and who she was going in for. She had lived previously for a time with Hauge’s daughter and described Hauge as an extra dad to her.
“Don has helped countless people with his long-standing career in EMS and on a personal level, I consider him to be a part of my family,” she said. “That’s the good and bad part of serving a community where you’re born and raised or reside in. You’re there to help whoever you get dispatched to and every patient matters, but when it’s your loved one it can be hard to not let your emotions or adrenaline take over.”
She said she had to find it in her to remain calm so she could perform the skills she is trained to do so he could have the best possible outcome.
The officers met them at the door, and Krenz said when she saw the officers she had a wave of relief, but that quickly went away when she went into the house and saw Traci’s face.
They went into the bedroom to start assessing him, and she said it was apparent it was an emergent situation. When Mayo Ambulance arrived, they took the lead.
Krenz said it was amazing to watch law enforcement, ambulance crews and firefighters all come together and work as a team even though they don’t generally train together.
“Many trained hands went into Don’s pre-hospital care that day and it all happened so fast that now a lot of it is a blur, but I will never forget sitting in the back of the ambulance providing him breaths,” she said. “The drive to the emergency room felt like forever even though it was just minutes, and while I had so many thoughts about Don and his family and what just happened and what was going to happen, there was also a sense of calm as I counted out the seconds between breaths and while the Mayo Ambulance crew provided their care.”
She said once at the hospital and before going back out to the fire truck, she met Hauge’s daughter, who was standing right inside the door, and they cried together.
“She asked, ‘Is my Dad going to be OK?’” Krenz said. “I had no idea.”
Hauge said he has been told that he was going in and out of cardiac arrest and eventually was flown to Rochester and the clot was removed.
He said his family was worried he would have brain damage because of lack of oxygen to his brain, but he has not had any neurological deficits, which he described as a miracle.
He said he is still healing from the LUCAS device, which is a mechanical chest compression system.
He also had a tracheotomy in place for 10 days and was then able to breathe on his own.
When he came out of it, he said he couldn’t stand and had no strength in his legs to walk.
“I couldn’t even itch my nose,” he said.
He said he remembers tidbits of his time in the early days of the hospital — whether that be visits from his minister, his family or others, but he doesn’t remember much else.
He has been transferred from St. Marys Hospital to Methodist Hospital and is now in Cannon Falls , where he is undergoing physical therapy. He said he has been able to walk 26 feet so far with his walker.
While he’s making progress, he said he is unsure when he will be released and noted he may still end up using a wheelchair when he gets out.
This weekend there is a benefit to raise money for Hauge and his family. It runs from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Albert Lea Moose Lodge, 1623 W. Main St.
There will be hamburger baskets for $10, gun raffles, a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction and bake sale.
“Anyone who knows Don and Traci knows they’d be the first to help any one of us in need,” states the flyer for the event. “This is our chance to show them that kindness works both ways.”
Hauge, who plans on attending, said he anticipates it to be an emotional time.
“There aren’t words to tell them thank you enough,” he said. “I’ve been on the other side. I’ve been on the side that they’re on. I’ve done CPR — I’ve seen people die. I’ve seen people live.”
He said he would like to say thank you to all who have helped him and said that what he has been through has changed him.
“I tell a lot of people I love them now when they leave because you don’t know when your last day is,” he said. “It could be any time. ... It’s made me much more aware to appreciate my family and my friends — not that I didn’t appreciate them before, just know how quickly it can all go away.”
He said it has been humbling to see all the people who have shown care for him and his family, and he is anxious to see and meet the people who saved him that day.
“Without those folks, I might not have survived,” he said. “They got the ball rolling, took me out of my house and got me going again.”
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