Martin County Sheriff Brad Ingram was fighting for his life after being coded seven times by medical staff for pulmonary embolism-induced cardiac arrest.
Ingram was sitting at his desk the morning of June 21 when he began to feel dizzy and would shortly require immediate resuscitative efforts. This is where the sheriff’s memory starts to fade.
His wife, Carla Ingram, recounted the events that led up to her husband being airlifted to Odessa Regional Medical Center and said his skin turned red, then he turned white and then he turned gray.
His deputy chief offered to call an ambulance but the sheriff said “no just put me in the pickup, let’s go,” Carla said. “He died seven times, twice in Martin County and five times in Odessa, and the doctors said he was not going to make it through the night, call family and say your goodbyes.”
Carla had been shopping in Snyder with a friend when she was given the news, but at the time it was assumed her husband was having a massive heart attack. Far from home, she rushed to be by his side.
“It seemed like I couldn’t get to him, she said. “Every time I was trying to get to him, he was on a helicopter or he was coming off the helicopter. I was chasing him for what seemed like hours.”
The couple has five children together, who do not live in the area. Their son caught a flight from New York to be with his father in what was said to be his final hours.
“There’s zero survival rate with something like this,” Carla said.
A chance was taken by Carla and medical staff, who could not find out in the moment if the sheriff was suffering from a blood clot and had to act fast while he was in critical condition. Carla was asked to decide if a last resort drug would be administered.
“I had to sign a consent form and it was a 50 percent chance of paralysis, stroke and all of that but I asked Tiffany Vaught, an ORMC family nurse practitioner, what she would do if it was her husband,” Carla said. “She said she would do it and I signed the form and I said go.”
Carla was joined on the second-floor lobby at ORMC by about 50 friends and family members. She described the space like a funeral and said sounds of weeping carried throughout the room.
“There wasn’t a dry eye in there,” Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis said. “It was a very somber time and all we could do was pray and be there for them.”
When she exited her husband’s room, she saw a group gathered in prayer for more than four hours. The Salvation Army offered food and water to the Ingrams’ guests. Law enforcement officers from the Ector County Sheriff’s Office and the Odessa Police Department stepped up to ensure an officer was outside the sheriff’s door around the clock for any needs the family had.
Several other agencies including the Midland County Sheriff’s Office, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, Andrews County Sheriff’s Office, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, Glasscock County Sheriff’s Office, Stanton Police Department and Texas Highway Patrol offered a helping hand to Martin County deputies to cover calls.
“He’s one of our own, he’s part of the law enforcement family,” Odessa Police Department Chief Mike Gerke said. “When something like this happens, we try to pull together and assist in any way we can.”
In the early morning hours, a sign of hope was sent. Brad’s blood pressure and oxygen levels improved but he still required a mechanical ventilator to assist his lungs with breathing for several days.
“I believe in the power of prayer,” Griffis said. “The good Lord cast his hand upon the doctors and Brad’s body and saved his life.”
Brad was in the ORMC cardiac unit for six days, was moved to the fourth floor in a private room for two days and then went to the third floor for therapy.
“They’re calling him the miracle man,” Carla said. “They said he was going to be in rehab for three weeks, but we’ve been in for two days and they’re already talking about cutting him loose. We’re blown away.”
The Ingrams’ are still awaiting the final medical report but Carla said a full recovery is expected.
The couple said the event has changed their lives.
“I’m probably going to slow down and smell the roses for a little bit,” the sheriff said.
The family expressed their appreciation for ORMC staff, law enforcement officers and community members.
“We just want to be sure and publicly thank everyone that supported us, we knew we had friends but we did not know to this extent,” Carla said.
“Just the outpouring of friends is overwhelming,” Brad said.
