A year after his heart stopped, Julian Galvan is back on the track and hoping to inspire others
Julian Galvan said he has a lot to be thankful for, especially the support of his parents, peers and the coaches and
medics who saved his life.
More than a year after his heart stopped suddenly, he’s back on the track at McMinnville High School, running relays as a team captain. He’s also more involved than ever in school activities, including as a contestant for the annual Mission Mac High competition that raises funds for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland.
Mission Mac High, a pageant-style competition with contestants representing different clubs and organizations, will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in the McMinnville Community Center.
Tickets are $10, and additional donations will be accepted that night with proceeds going to the hospital where Galvan and many other McMinnville young people have been treated.
Galvan, then 17, woke up at Doernbecher on Feb. 27, 2024, unsure how he got there or why. He’s since regained most of his memory from the day before, which was a normal school day until he suddenly collapsed at the end of track practice.
He knows coaches Jenifer Gubrud and Jessica Gordon and athletic trainer Kelsey LaMont responded immediately with CPR and a defibrillator, and that McMinnville Fire Department EMTs took over at that point.
But, to his regret, he doesn’t remember the helicopter ride to the Portland hospital, even though Life Flight medics told him he was talking with them during the flight.
He awakened in the hospital to see his parents, Juan Galvan and Mayra Campos, his girlfriend and other friends, along with a nurse named Heather whose name he kept forgetting because of short-term memory loss. On the day he finally recognized Nurse Heather, everyone celebrated — not only had he survived, but his brain would recover, they realized.
A year later, his memories have returned, thanks in part to his friends reminding him about conversations they had on that fateful day.
For instance, friend Kason Elkins, a sprinter on the track team, reminded him that they’d been joking about Galvan giving Elkins a haircut. Elkins let his hair grow longer for weeks until Galvan was out of the hospital and able to cut it.
Galvan said he wishes he could contact Nurse Heather again to tell her how much she and other hospital personnel meant to him. He has searched, but hasn’t been able to find her.
On that first day at Doernbecher, Galvan said he wanted to call or text his friends to tell them he’d be back at track practice the next day. His mom took his phone away, though.
His eagerness was a bit premature. He did return to the track team as manager last spring, but it wasn’t until October, after numerous appointments with his cardiologist, that he was cleared to run again.
His mother wasn’t as excited about that news as he was, he said. She still was worried about him.
But she also had faith, saying that God had protected Julian by putting him in the right place when his heart stopped, so he was surrounded by people who knew how to save him. So she has gradually accepted his decision to return to racing.
To Galvan, it wasn’t a difficult choice. A former soccer player, he had turned to track at Mac High as a sophomore.
“I love the sport,” he said. “I could’ve sat around or continued to be manager, but I wanted to run. I guess you could say it’s a healthy addiction.”
His confidence increased when his doctor told him he doesn’t have heart disease. The doctor said Galvan suffered a rare type of heart stoppage that occurs as rarely as being struck by lightning.
“It was going to happen to someone, and it just happened to be me,” the Mac High senior said.
Julian started training again in November, first with weightlifting, then cardio workouts. He soon was running, as well, increasing the distance and speed with each practice.
By the time track practice started, he was ready. He is thrilled to be practicing with the approximately 200 other students who turned out for the sport, and competing in the 100- and 200-meter races as well as the 4x400 relay, for which he is the third leg. He also is a track team captain.
“I hope I can contribute something to the team. I hope to inspire someone and show that you don’t have to give up,” he said.
Galvan is also pleased to be back at school. He is a top student and is enrolled in several Advanced Placement courses, such as AP literature and U.S. government.
He is preparing to graduate, with plans to study pre-law next year at Linfield University.
He’s become more involved at Mac High, as well. He joined the student leadership program and is the Associated Student Body’s first-ever school spirit manager, in charge of boosting school spirit however he can.
As part of his ASB job, he developed a “Spirit Stick,” a 7-foot-tall PVC pipe filled with noisemakers and decorated to match different themes. For the winter spirit week assembly, he turned the spirit stick into a candy cane; for spring, he decorated it with flowers and bright colors.
Classes vie to win competitions at assemblies, and the winning group gets to keep the stick until the next time around, all in fun, he said.
“I’ve loved being in ASB this year,” he said. “The only thing I’m sad about is that I didn’t do it sooner.”
Mission Mac High is another activity he’s added to his schedule since recovering from heart failure.
He spoke at the contest last spring, telling the audience about the importance of supporting Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Then he decided to apply to be a contestant, as well.
He and the other contestants have been raising money for weeks. Each carries a decorated jug in which to collect donations — Galvan’s looks like a heart emblazoned with a pulse monitor.
He also raised funds by working a shift at his family’s restaurant, the Muchas Gracias in Newberg. Fifty percent of the proceeds went into his Doernbecher fund. The job also gave him a chance to raise awareness about the need to support the hospital, he said.
During the contest on April 17, judges will consider the amount of funds raised, contestants’ personalities and their individual skits. Galvan plans to dance to a mashup of two songs, NSYNC’s “Bye Bye Bye” and Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing,” that represent his medical journey.
Galvan also chose a symbolic title for the competition.
“I could have tried to be Mr. Track or Mr. ASB,” he said, since contestants usually go by the name of the organizers they represent. “But I wanted to be Mr. Heartstopper.”
The title captures the reason he’s so aware of Doernbecher and the role it plays in young people’s lives, he said.
Annual Mac High pageant raises money for Doernbecher
Contestants and the organizations, areas of study and activities they represent are: Alyx Arritola, Ms. Scientist; Dakota Mitsche, Ms. Basketballer; Julian Galvan, Mr. Heartstopper; Lesly Aguilar Hernandez, Ms. Business; Molly Martinez, Ms. Nurse; Molly Swart, Ms. Theater; Perla Mendoza Morfin, Ms. Advocacy; Rylee Strong, Ms. Outdoors; Stephanie Fuchs, Ms. Medical; Sydney Kinsel, Ms. Golf; Tanner Leikam, Mr. Tennis; Vivi Garibay, Ms. President; Ximena Figueroa, Ms. Forensics; Jordan Wrigley, Ms. Swim
Each contestant has a goal of raising at least $800. They will collect additional donations on pageant night. The overall goal is $25,000 for Doernbecher.
“Every year of Mission Mac High is special,” said teacher Lucy Bertolo, the leadership adviser. “There is something so encouraging and fulfilling about watching these vibrant young people fundraise and facilitate an entire show, in addition to the day-to-day commitments they already have.”
She noted that many contestants are athletes, have rigorous academic schedules, work part-time jobs and maintain responsibilities to family and friends, she said.
Still, all are passionate about raising funds for the children’s hospital, she said. Some, such as Mendoza Morfin and Galvan, feel a direct connection, after being treated at Doernbecher or Randall Children’s Hospital.
The pageant, themed “Here We Go Again,” will start at 7 p.m. in the McMinnville Community Center. Doors will open at 6:30.
Tickets at the door cost $10 for adults and $5 for students. All proceeds go to the children’s hospital, which has helped many McMinnville youngsters, according to the Mac High Doernbecher Club.
For more information, call the high school at 503-565-4200.
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