Published in the December 23, 2016 edition.

By GAIL LOWE

WAKEFIELD — Peter Miller, an attorney who practices private client law at Mintz Levin in Boston and lives in the Montrose neighborhood of Wakefield, will no doubt receive presents on Christmas, but perhaps the most precious gift of all is his life.

He very nearly lost it on Wednesday, Dec. 14 when he suffered sudden cardiac arrest while boarding the MBTA commuter rail at about 7:20 p.m. Miller said he never got to sit down.

He had put in a long day at work and was just about to board the train when he felt dizzy for a second or two. Then he hit the floor.

But Miller was in luck. Another passenger on the train happened to be a registered nurse trained in medical emergencies such as the one that befell Miller. Frank Curtis had just completed his 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift in the Emergency Room at Massachusetts General Hospital and was listening to music to decompress when the train’s conductor called out for medical help.

Curtis, a Reading resident and father of three young children, jumped to his feet and responded. He immediately performed CPR on Miller and used a defibrillator that was stored on the train.

Curtis was successful. He and the defibrillator saved Miller’s life.

When Miller woke up, he was still on the floor but was quickly taken to Mass. General where he spent six nights. Two nights after he was admitted (Friday, Dec. 16), Curtis paid him a visit. Miller told him he was “a hero.”

“All I could say was ‘thank you,’” he said. “I’m just so grateful to be alive.”

“I can’t begin to tell Frank Curtis — and everyone else — just how grateful I am,” said Miller, who was released Tuesday, Dec. 20, from the hospital. Until last week, the 57-year-old man had never spent a night in a hospital as an adult patient.

Apparently, Curtis wasn’t the only person to come to Miller’s aid. Other passengers and crew members helped, too.

“Talk about a gift,” Miller said. “I am just so grateful to everyone.”

The Montrose resident is thankful for at least one other person — Marlene Allen of Wellesley. If not for Allen, he might not be alive. In 2002, Allen’s husband, Dr. James R. Allen, died after suffering a heart attack on an MBTA train that lacked a defibrillator. Since that time, Allen’s widow has seen to it that MBTA trains have defibrillators on board.

“This is a very special Christmas,” said Miller’s wife Susan Curtin, who was notified of the emergency as soon as it happened. “The lesson I learned from this is not to sweat the small stuff. We’ve had a lot of love and support from family and friends.”

According to medical experts, sudden cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart unexpectedly stops beating. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. Cardiac arrest usually leads to death if it is not treated within minutes.

According to statistics, only 8 percent of people who suffer cardiac arrest survive because they do not receive immediate help.

In addition to his wife, Miller has four children: Frank, David, Timothy and Katie. The family also have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Macy.

In addition to his full-time work, Miller serves on the Conservation Commission in Wakefield.

Defibrillators are important life-saving devices. They are in place in the Wakefield Police and Fire departments. They also are located in Wakefield’s schools, according to Superintendent Dr. Kim Smith. The Walton and Doyle schools each have one. The other three elementary schools have two, the Galvin Middle School has three and the high school has five.