The Weight of Cardiac Arrest

It happens suddenly. One moment you’re living a happy, healthy life; the next, there is a weight on your chest. And your heart stops beating.

Cardiac arrest is a phenomenon that can happen to anyone, at any time, no matter how healthy one believes oneself to be. And it’s not a sensation that everyone recognizes immediately. There are some who have a heart attack and do not realize it until there is irreparable damage done to their most essential organ.

For this entry in The Weight I connected with my friend and fellow photographer, Tom, who recently suffered from the unthinkable. The vivid recollection of how he felt in the moment of the heart attack’s onset led to sparks of artistic representation in both our minds.

Cardiac arrest is heavy. It tears at the body and mind. It muddies the gears of everything you know. But Tom is a sign that, if you recognize you’re having a heart attack, ACT. Because your story shouldn’t end with something outside of your control.