Perkasie welder and heart attack survivor David Byrne knew something was up on the morning of April 22, 2021. He arose with bad indigestion, resulting (he assumed) from chicken wings eaten the night before.

Later that morning, he collapsed while showering.

Jillian, his newlywed wife (they had just married the prior January), called 911. The dispatcher guided her CPR effort until help arrived.

David was whisked to Grand View Hospital, Sellersville. There, his condition was diagnosed quickly: total blockage of an arterial artery. The condition is commonly called a “widow maker” because of its high mortality rate, especially outside a hospital setting.

“Dave’s heart function decreased dramatically to 10 percent of what it should have been,” said interventional cardiologist Shailendra Singh, MD.

The treatment plan comprised surgery and a heart pump to aid David’s overall healing. Once stabilized, he was transferred to Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest to heal.

He stayed there eight weeks.

Long-term rehab followed, and Dave returned to Perkasie Aug. 6.

Dave and Jillian are now “…trying to go back to living our full productive lives,” and considering starting a family.

Welding may be out as a profession when Dave goes back to work, but he says he’ll adjust accordingly.

“Thankfully, I’m around to make those decisions,” he said.

The full account of the Byrnes’ heart attack and ensuing medical saga is at Grand View Health.