🌟 Incredible Survival Story! 🌟
Meet Rhys Edwards, a newly-married dad from Penarth, who faced a terrifying ordeal that turned his life upside-down. Just weeks after the joy of his wedding and the excitement of expecting his second child, he found himself battling for his life thousands of miles from home.
While on a work trip to New York, Rhys started feeling unwell with flu-like symptoms. Despite feeling under the weather, he chalked it up to just a nasty bug. But things took a dramatic turn when a mysterious rash appeared on his chest. Soon, his heart was in distress, leading to a cardiac arrest—a condition he never saw coming.
“I was unbelievably happy, sitting with my son and talking to my dad who passed away years ago,” recalls Rhys from the frightening moment his heart stopped. Miraculously, after emergency procedures and the fitting of a pacemaker, Rhys’s life was saved. The cause? A rare strain of Coxsackie virus, a name most haven’t heard but now holds significant weight in Rhys’s life.
“The physical challenge was tough, but the mental struggle was even harder,” he shares. Panic attacks and anxiety became Rhys’s new normal, but with time, he found strength in the support from his loved ones and organisations like the British Heart Foundation.
Today, nearly four years after the ordeal, Rhys is rebuilding his life. The pacemaker’s a thing of the past, but the gratitude for life remains. “I focus on gratitude—watching my kids play, enjoying the little things.”
Rhys’s message to all: If you’re feeling off, see a doctor. Never just assume. His story is now a part of a broader campaign to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases—a red bench has even been unveiled in Penarth’s Alexandra Park in his honour.
Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the little things and remember the importance of listening to our bodies. 💪❤️ #HeartHealth #StayInformed #GratitudeEveryDay
[📸: Rhys & Family’s Journey]