Published: December 21, 2023

AHA News' most-read survivor stories of 2023

By American Heart Association News

*ER nurse manager and cardiac arrest survivor Laura Rodriguez. (Photo courtesy of Laura Rodriguez)*

Cardiac arrest survivor tales caught our readers' eyes this year, among other inspiring stories. Here are the top 5 survivor stories published this year, ranked in order of unique page views.

1. ER nurse went into cardiac arrest at daughter's school

At 34, Laura Rodriguez had a virus that damaged her heart. But she didn't know it until she collapsed in the nurse's office at her daughter's elementary school.

2. A thump to his chest during a game stopped his heart. Textbook response saved him.

Teenager Peter Laake was playing lacrosse when a fast-moving ball struck him in the wrong place at the wrong time, causing a cardiac arrest.

3. Heart problem could've ended his college basketball career before it began. It didn't.

King McClure sought more information when doctors at Baylor University discovered he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A heart device enabled him to keep playing.

4. When he stopped breathing, his dog called out for help

At 31, Ken Walsh went into cardiac arrest on his couch. His dog, Indiana, alerted his wife. His recovery led him to the finish line of the New York City marathon.

5. She was 28 and went into cardiac arrest at work. CPR and an AED saved her life.

Doctors don't know why Heather Baker had a cardiac arrest at 28, but they do know CPR and an AED saved her.

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