BERKELEY – Cal is so important to former men's basketball team manager Greg Calvelo, it's almost as if his life depends on it.

In this case, it actually did.

Three Cal athletic department employees helped save Calvelo's life after he suffered a heart attack during a team reunion before the Bears' football season-opener on Sept. 1. Associate Athletic Trainer Barry Parsons, Alumni Relations Coordinator Pita Toler and Associate Director of Development Courtney Hamilton all played a part in making sure Calvelo survived after collapsing during the pre-game get together at Haas Pavilion.

Immediately after Calvelo started feeling overwhelmingly lightheaded and fell back onto the floor, Toler and Hamilton raced off to find Parsons, who had just completed practice with the men's basketball team. While 911 was called in the interim, Hamilton found Parsons and they sprinted back to the lounge at the front of Haas Pavilion, where the reunion was taking place.

Parsons recognized immediately that Calvelo had gone into cardiac arrest, and asked Toler to retrieve the AED from the athletic training room. Toler and Hamilton ran off to get the device while Parsons determined Calvelo wasn't breathing and checked for a pulse. He started to administer CPR.

Moments later, Toler and Hamilton and returned with the AED. A retired firefighter who was also at the reunion helped Parsons cut through Calvelo's shirt and place the pads on him.

After two shocks and a couple more cycles of CPR, Calvelo regained consciousness and began to breathe again.

"What still shakes me to this day is I'm diehard Cal," Calvelo said. "I eat, sleep and breathe Cal. I love Cal so much and Cal is what saved my life. Literally, my Cal basketball family saved my life."

Paramedics arrived on the scene shortly after Parsons revived Calvelo, and Calvelo was taken to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland. It was determined that two of Calvelo's arteries were 90 percent blocked and another was 60-70 percent blocked. Calvelo ended up having stents put in as part of a cardiac catheterization procedure.

"Thankfully, we practice this. We drill it," Parsons said. "Somebody in my position, it was kind of second nature to me. We go through yearly trainings. I was glad I was there and able to help."
 

Before he suffered the heart attack, Calvelo had registered to participate in the American Heart Association San Francisco Heart Walk on Sept. 14 because his father had open heart surgery last year. Doctors told Calvelo he could still take part in the walk after his procedure, so he ended up making a donation in the names of Parsons, Toler and Hamilton.

"I sent an e-mail to Barry, Pita and Courtney. How the hell do you thank someone who just saved your life?" Calvelo said. "What can you do to repay them? What I did know is what they did for me is not lost on me. It's not going to be for nothing. I'm going to take advantage of my second chance."

Toler said she was surprised to receive an e-mail from Calvelo just a week after the heart attack, and the Heart Walk piqued her interest. 

She ended up attending the walk with Calvelo.

"In his e-mail, he said he had this walk. I thought, I have to try to go to that," Toler said. "I didn't really know who he was, but I just wanted to show that the Cal Family is going to be here for you no matter what."
 

Toler joined Calvelo and his family and friends for the walk from Justin Herman Plaza to AT&T Park and back. The group walked for two of the three-mile course. Toler brought Calvelo a Cal visor after noticing in pictures that he preferred visors over caps.

"Pita wanted to do more. I have never met her before in my life," Calvelo said. "I was honored. That was above and beyond. It was totally emotional. There's no connection. It was all genuine. It was all about the Cal basketball family."

In the days after the heart attack, Calvelo received a text from Cal head coach Wyking Jones and an e-mail from Chancellor Carol Christ checking in on his well-being.

"He was that appreciative," Parsons said. "I didn't want any recognition. But it was really, really thoughtful of him to do something like that."