A little more than a year ago, I went into sudden cardiac arrest. For those that don’t know, sudden cardiac arrest is when your heart just stops. There are no warning signs and the mortality rate is extremely high. Luckily, my wife was right beside me and called 911. Paramedics were able to get my heart beating again. On the way to the hospital, my heart stopped again and they didn’t get it started again until I was in the hospital. I was put into a coma because my heart was stopped for a total of 23 minutes and the doctors were concerned about my brain swelling. My wife told me that they were prepping her that I may never come back or if I did there would significant brain damage.
I woke up several days later with a pacemaker/defibrillator implant and no idea what happened. Cardiologists still don’t know why I went into cardiac arrest.
There were several months of recovery that followed in which I found NLU on YouTube and it reignited my love for golf that I had lost over the years. I joined the Nest/Refuge and it gave me something to look forward to each day when I couldn’t leave my bed. For that, I will be eternally grateful to all of you.
I have made a full recovery and I have modern medicine and advances in heart science to thank for my second chance at life. I have become active with the American Heart Association to say a small thank you. I am participating in the Tampa Bay Heart Walk on November 20th and am trying to do some fundraising. If any of you would like to make a donation, it would be greatly appreciated by me and my family and any amount helps!
Please Click here if you’d like to contribute.
Thank you for reading and allowing me to share my NLU origin story with you all.
I was paired up with @kblewis14 at the Palm Beach Par 3 event, and he drops this story on @sundaybag, @Verneon16 and myself on the back 9. I think I can speak for them that it was a true holy shit moment that made the day far more than just the Quota game. Happy to support the cause Kelly!
Wow - what a story @kblewis14! Thanks for sharing - this is truly a special place. So glad you’ve made a full recovery! Thanks for the opportunity to donate and best of luck with the walk!
Had a similar experience first time I met him. We were on our third hole and I ask what his refuge origin story is and he casually says something like, “Well I died last fall. My heart stopped for 20 something minutes and I found NLU while I was recovering and laying in bed for 2 months.”
I think all I mustered in the moment was a “wow”. I was so caught off guard by it that I didn’t know what else to say. I got home and was telling my wife and was then like I have so many questions.
Glad you’re still here @kblewis14 and happy to support. Let’s play some golf soon!
A little update: In a little over a week y’all have donated over $600. The level of generosity within this place is truly staggering. To all who have donated, thank you. You truly don’t know what it means to me.
Well it’s Heart Walk day…you have helped me raise over $1,400! I can’t even begin to express my gratitude to those of you who have donated and even the ones who just read my story. It means so much to my wife and me that I have found a community of fellow golf nuts! I know that I can rely on the Refuge for help, advice, or just somewhere to find a playing partner for a quick 18. This place is really something. Special S/O to @TB3Golf, @Schikolas, @andrewf, @Vincel, @tchap80, @GeneralQuinn, @cgroom, @OffTheDole, @avess, and @LiveAdam for their generous donations. Thank you again to all of you. Here are some pictures of my family after we finished the 3 mile walk (it was a lot for our dog).
