Emergency heart care: 'Tyler’s case is a shining beacon of everything going exactly right’
After collapsing from a heart attack at the age of 31, Tyler Kiel is now in recovery.
That’s thanks to a collaborative effort from the care team at Salem Hospital.
Kiel shared in early 2026 that he’s going through cardiac rehab after a heart attack caused by a severe blockage in the main artery supplying the heart.
“Truthfully, mortality in cases like Tyler’s is very high,” said interventional cardiologist Norman Aiad, MD.
Dr. Aiad said multiple teams worked together to save Kiel’s life.
Success from collaborative care
“Tyler’s case is a shining beacon of everything going exactly right,” said Dr. Aiad. “He went down, he got immediate CPR from one of his colleagues, they activated 911 and EMTs got there and did everything correctly.”
Once he arrived at Salem Hospital, Kiel went from the emergency department to the cardiac catheterization lab to the cardiovascular care unit.
Ashley Latuharhary, RN, is a nurse in the cath lab. She worked with Kiel shortly after he arrived.
“Oftentimes, we never know how people fare after we take care of them,” said Latuharhary. “We were all thrilled to receive an update on Tyler and to hear that he was doing so well. Our team considers it a privilege to have the chance to care for people like Tyler and to help make a positive difference in their lives.”
Vilaiphone Hillyer, RN, is a nurse who cared for Kiel in the CVCU.
“Since the patient is very young, Dr. Aiad wanted to give him the best chance of life and the best possible outcome if he needed a heart transplant,” she said. “I’m very thankful for the opportunity to serve and care for him.”
Cardiogenic shock: Treatment and recovery
While at Salem Hospital, Kiel needed an Impella pump to be placed, as he was in cardiogenic shock.
“He had a very large heart attack in the main vessel of the heart, the left anterior descending artery, often referred to as the widow maker,” said Dr. Aiad. “Even after we opened that vessel, he required a lot of support from the pump.”
Dr. Aiad said the pump was ultimately removed when Kiel was transferred to Providence St. Vincent.
“The Impella CP is a heart support pump,” he said. “It’s a device that’s placed in one of the large vessels of the leg. It’s placed under X-ray into the heart and it functions to substitute the work of the heart.”
Now, Dr. Aiad is happy to report that Kiel’s recovery exceeded expectations, and his heart function is now entirely back to normal.
“He took his medicines every day, followed up with cardiology,” said Dr. Aiad. “He’s a real success story.”