In a heartbeat, you could be the difference.
9 out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside the hospital don’t survive. Most of the time, it’s because no one nearby performed CPR. But together, we can change that.
I have a Type A and type B aortic dissection. Think of the aorta as being shaped like a candy cane. It carries the blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The hook part is what comes out of the heart. I had a unknown weak point with a bulge in the aorta at the beginning of the hook called a aneurysm. What developed suddenly was a tear in the inner lining of the aorta. The first part of the hook had to be replaced with a mesh. I still have the tear going down the rest of the aorta all the way into my left hip.
I was a personal trainer when this happened. I controlled my weight, was aerobically fit and muscular, was careful how I ate, didn’t smoke, didn’t drink much. It started while I was passing out Halloween candy on 10/30/25. I suddenly got the most severe chest pain that I could ever have imagined. I got into the house soon after and told my wife what was happening. We called 911 and I was rushed to nearby St. Ann’s hospital. After many attempts to calm my pain without luck and tests on my heart not showing something was wrong an ER doctor saw deep in my MyChart that I had the aneurysm. A CT scan was ordered and that is where the dissection was found.
I was told that St Ann’s didn’t have the staff to handle this emergency so I was transported to The Ohio State Univercity Ross Heart Hospital. Dr Matt Henn did the repair with a 6 hour open chest and open heart surgery. After my 12 week recovery I went back to work and started my exercise routine back up while doing my best to follow all of the dietary guidelines given to me.
In May I retired and I’m feeling as good as can 9 months after being close to death. I don’t take this second chance lightly. I strongly believe my healthy outlook and healthy lifestyle is a big reason for my successful recovery.
Extraordinary things happen when people take action. A small step. A simple skill. A lifesaving moment. Heart Walk brings communities together to create health and hope for every heartbeat. Every walker who joins, every dollar donated, means more people trained in CPR, more research and more lifesaving moments for everyone.
Extraordinary starts with YOU. Help me reach my goal today!