2026 Wilmington Heart Walk

Confident in his ability to conquer the course, he set off with determination, but just a mile in he began to stumble and collapsed, causing runners behind him to trip over his body. A police officer witnessed the fall and rushed to protect Willie from the crowd, immediately beginning CPR. Three physicians who were also participating in the race stopped to help, with one sprinting to a nearby hotel to retrieve an AED. For 30 minutes, both on the scene and en route to the hospital, they worked tirelessly to save his life

Around 4 a.m., Willie regained consciousness with no memory of what had happened. One of his first questions was “Did I finish the race?” His doctor explained that he had gone into cardiac arrest and was saved by the quick actions of bystanders. Deeply grateful, Willie returned to the same Road Race the following year alongside the police officer and the three doctors who had helped him.

Willie walked every mile and proudly crossed the finish line with the heroes who had saved his life.

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