I graduated in 1994 with a journalism degree and spent a decade as an award-winning TV news photographer before running my global freelance production company. That career abruptly ended in July 2019 when I suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at home.
My wife, former news anchor Kris Patrow, and I published a memoir, "DEADLINE: A Reporter's True Story of Cardiac Arrest and the Race to Survive." With no warning, Kris performed CPR for nearly 10 minutes until help arrived. That began a 65-day battle involving seven defibrillator shocks, a coma, anoxic brain injury, and years of recovery.
Turning tragedy into a mission, we launched First Link community events. At our book launch, 20 people signed up for hands-only CPR training, with more events planned for Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month in October.