Steve Kietzmann survived a sudden cardiac arrest while on vacation in Hawaii. Steve is kind enough to spend some time with us to share his physical and mental journey.

Lynn Blake advocacy efforts have contributed to awareness campaigns and legislative initiatives and have earned recognition from organizations including the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. She is the author of Heart of the Matter: How My Near-Death Experiences Led Me to Save Lives and Souls, a memoir that chronicles her recovery, resilience, and mission to help others.

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Matter-Near-Death-Experiences-Lives/dp/B0FWNG16LP

Heart of the Matter: How My Near-Death Experiences Led Me to Save Lives and Souls is an inspirational memoir by Lynn Blake, detailing her sudden cardiac arrest as a young newlywed. The book chronicles her path from survival and grief to finding a new purpose in life. The memoir features practical resources like 17 steps to overcome anxiety and reflections on life's biggest questions—details a number of core concepts she explored following her trauma: The Survival Journey: Blake's heart stopped without warning, throwing her into the physical and emotional turbulence of recovery. Life with a Pacemaker: She documents the realities of navigating a second chance at life while relying on an implanted pacemaker-defibrillator. Advocacy and Mission: Surviving her medical emergency propelled her toward a passionate mission to help others, advocate for heart health, and save lives.

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Lynn Blake is a sudden cardiac arrest survivor, advocate, author, and public speaker. In 2007, at age 27, she survived a near-fatal cardiac arrest after receiving immediate CPR and defibrillation. Following her recovery, she dedicated her life to raising awareness about sudden cardiac arrest, promoting CPR and AED education, and supporting public health initiatives aimed at improving survival rates. She is the author of Heart of the Matter: How My Near-Death Experiences Led Me to Save Lives and Souls, a memoir that chronicles her recovery, resilience, and mission to help others.

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Matter-Near-Death-Experiences-Lives/dp/B0FWNG16LP

For anyone interested in learning more about reducing anxiety, finding hope for their heart and future, watching a two-minute instructional video on recognizing cardiac arrest and responding with CPR-Call. Pump. Restart., purchasing a defibrillator using a discount code, exploring survivor/saver products, or connecting with me directly, please direct them to HeartHope.org⁠.Please subscribe to the All Hands On Podcast available on Spotify and Apple.

You can follow our video podcast version on YouTube under All Hands On Podcast.

We are on Facebook under Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor Mental Health Awareness Group where we always continue the conversations.

In August of 2024, Greg's life changed in a way he never expected. He suffered a heart attack and went into sudden cardiac arrest. It was one of those moments that you never think will happen to you — until it does.

What started as a medical emergency quickly became a life-changing experience not only for me, but for my family as well. He was fortunate to survive, and He does not take that lightly. Since then, He has spent a lot of time processing what happened physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Recovery has been about much more than just healing my heart. It has included learning how to slow down, pay attention to my body, manage stress, make lifestyle changes, and accept that life after a major heart event looks different. There are the physical pieces — medications, appointments, restrictions, exercise, nutrition, and learning what is safe — but there is also a mental side that people do not always talk about. Fear, anxiety, gratitude, survivor’s guilt, and the question of “what now?” can all become part of the journey.

This experience also opened my eyes to how important support is. His wife, children, family, medical professionals, and the people around him all played a huge role in helping him move forward. It also made him realize how many people are quietly dealing with heart disease, cardiac recovery, or caring for someone they love after a major health event.

Out of that experience, he felt called to share more openly. He started focusing on encouragement, awareness, prevention, and support for others through The Hearty Gnomes. The goal is not to give medical advice, but to remind people that they are not alone, that small steps matter, and that taking care of your heart is about more than just numbers on a chart.

Greg's hope in sharing his story is that it helps someone recognize symptoms sooner, take their health seriously, support a loved one better, or simply feel less alone in their own recovery.

Song: 

Heart Still Here https://suno.com/s/nTPI1FRJ39Zk9ARY 

The Hearty Gnomes FB

https://www.facebook.com/theheartygnomes

Instagram

 https://www.instagram.com/theheartygnomes/

Please subscribe to the All Hands On Podcast available on Spotify and Apple.

You can follow our video podcast version on YouTube under All Hands On Podcast.

We are on Facebook under Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor Mental Health Awareness Group where we always continue the conversations.

Keith Harvey had an out of hospital Sudden Cardiac Arrest on June 19, 2021. His wife and son carried out CPR for 50 minutes until the medics arrived and shocked him back to life with an AED machine. Keith has a  Boston Scientific ICD that was fitted 4 days later. He was released from the hospital intime to be at home for his daughters 21st a week later.

A lot happened beyond that from PTSD, passive suicidal thoughts, anger, depression, mood swings, night terrors, being unable to work and earn a income, and having in appropriate shocks.

Keith spent a year working with a psychologist and that made a world of a difference.

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You can follow our video podcast version on YouTube underAll Hands On Podcast.

We are on Facebook under Sudden Cardiac Arrest SurvivorMental Health Awareness Group where we always continue the conversations.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor Julia Churchill and her daughter Stephanie Jones discuss life after surviving a sudden cardiac arrest.

On Wednesday, November 28, 2018, she was sitting at her desk at work at 3:50 in the afternoon, waiting for her shift to end at 4:00 pm. She worked as a Records Specialist in the police department and she had been there 25 years at that point. She was 61 years old. The Chief of Police and 2 other officers had stopped to chat with her, as her cubicle was central in the office and always seemed to be the gathering point. She had just set her purse & car keys on her desk when she was suddenly hit with about 2 seconds of extreme dizziness. Next thing she knew, she was on the floor with her Chief telling her "it will be ok, you're going to be ok." She open her eyes and half the fire department is surrounding her. They load her up and rush her to the local hospital. Man, when you experience & survive SCA while not in a medical setting, you're pretty much a celebrity when you get to the hospital! Julie says. That's when she found out, only 1 person in 10 survive SCA outside a medical setting.

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Brian McNeil is an author, survivor, and inspirational voice whose story of perseverance and hope has touched readers facing life’s darkest challenges. Best known as the co-author of the book For a While Longer: What Being Pushed to the Edge Taught Us About Light, Brian shares a deeply personal journey shaped by hardship, resilience, and survival. After experiencing Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), his perspective on life, faith, family, and purpose was forever changed.

Through his writing and speaking, Brian McNeil offers encouragement to others navigating adversity, reminding people that even in moments of uncertainty, there is still light, strength, and reason to keep going — if only for a while longer.

The link for the book on Amazon https://a.co/d/0j7UJwIf

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I wrote a book, the Rhythm of Rescue inspired by the importance of learning CPR. Through that I have encountered SCA survivors on a different level than as a nurse in a facility. Through these encounters and interviews I have learned more about the struggle for SCA survivors. 
M. Stephens

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rhythm-of-rescue-monica-stephens/1150309857

Monica Stephens is a registered nurse, CPR educator, entrepreneur, and host of The Wellness Pulse Podcast. She joined People’s Choice CPR & Safety, LLC in 2009, bringing a background in journalism with a specialization in public relations. Inspired by the mission founded by her mother, Monica became an American Heart Association BLS and First Aid instructor in 2010 and later expanded the company’s reach throughout northern Florida and southern Georgia.

Driven by a passion for education and advocacy, Monica pursued nursing in 2014 and now combines her experience in healthcare, media, and storytelling to promote CPR awareness and public wellness education. Through her podcast, speaking engagements, and upcoming book The Rhythm of Rescue, Monica explores the history, humanity, and life-saving impact of CPR while working to empower communities with the confidence and skills to respond in emergencies.

On May 22nd 2025, while working out at his apartment gym, he had a SCA. Fortunately, the only other person in the gym at the time happened to be a nurse and she was able to pull be off the rowing machine, call 911 and begin CPR until EMS arrived on scene with an AED and shock me back.

Ben's closing remarks for the podcast :I've read a lot of news articles/ posts about young people having SCA during sports or other activities, and it was found that the SCA was caused by heart problems that a simple 12-lead EKG would detect. There are groups out there pushing for student-athletes (high school and up) to have an EKG before competing to help reduce the risk of SCA. Florida recently passed the Second Chance Act, which requires all first-time high school athletes to receive an EKG screening starting July 1, 2026. 

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