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By J.J. Machnik
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Looking at the photos on social media, the end of my senior year seemed pretty "average" at first sight.
On June 20, 2024, I graduated from Howell High School and the week before, was celebrating with my team at our annual varsity wrestling awards dinner. On June 7, I went to prom—my classmates even voted me Prom King. It all seemed like a great way to end my high school year with many great memories.
However, the last several weeks of my senior year were far from normal for me and my family. It seemed unimaginable that I'd do any of these perfectly normal high school things as a month before this, on May 10, I went into sudden cardiac arrest and my heart stopped.
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I survived to tell the story because two of my friends Trevor Hodgins and Giovanni Scafidi quickly sprang into action and performed CPR to keep me alive.
In my early teenage years, I knew my heart was a little different. I was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) at age 14. I learned about this condition because my dad has obstructive HCM. Thankfully, my parents insisted on getting me screened for this genetic condition, which basically means my heart would abnormally thicken, making it difficult for it to pump blood.
But I never let it hold me back, thanks to Dr. Matthew W. Martinez, director of Atlantic Health System Sports Cardiology at Morristown Medical Center. Together, we developed a plan that made me, and my parents feel confident and allowed me to live the life I wanted—which included wrestling.
The day it happened seems so long ago now, but I went to my friend's house to work out on the treadmill. It was just another day. Suddenly, while running, I took a hard fall to the ground. My heart had stopped.
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In that split second, everything went black. Thankfully, my teammates and friends knew about my condition and jumped into immediate action. Without a doubt, their actions saved my life. When you go into cardiac arrest, every minute matters. Any delay in CPR could have led to a different outcome: death.
My friend's younger brothers, Trevor, 14, and Giovanni, 18 did not think twice. They immediately started chest compressions with rescue breaths while Trevor's mom dialed 911. Trevor's mom, Marlana, called my mom, who rushed from work which was roughly 20 minutes away. She later said it felt like an eternity until she arrived at my side.
Later, my mom told me that everything moved slowly until she got to me and thought her worst nightmare had happened. My friends were aware that I had HCM and informed the paramedics, which helped with their emergency care and treatment. I would later find out that I was brought back to life twice on the way to CentraState Medical Center.
After being stabilized, I was transferred to Morristown Medical Center for advanced cardiac care under the supervision of Dr. Amirali Masoumi who specializes in cardiac critical care and leads the team who put me on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a type of advanced artificial life-support. ECMO did the job that both my heart and lungs couldn't, allowing my body to recover. To save my brain, I was put in a medically induced coma.
On May 17, my 19th birthday, I was able to walk again. It felt weird waking up. I didn't remember anything from that day, even before I went into cardiac arrest. I felt somewhat like my old self, but it was as if I had skipped a few days and couldn't remember anything.
Physical and occupational therapy were tiring, but with each exercise, I remembered how much love and support I had. This inspired me to keep fighting. The cardiac team surgically implanted an internal defibrillator, which will kick in if I ever need it, and on May 23, I was discharged home to start the process of resting, healing, and rebuilding my strength.
My treatment plan involves taking medication for my heart, following up with Dr. Martinez regularly, as well as having a physical therapy program to help regain my strength. I am so thankful for my family and friends, the Howell Police & EMS, the Atlantic Health paramedics, the Emergency Department team at CentraState, and Dr. Martinez, and Dr. Masoumi. My friends saved my life and bought me critical time until I could get the expert cardiac care I needed.
Because of Trevor and Gio, and the entire team at Morristown Medical Center, I am lucky that so many people had my back, and my heart. In addition to leaning on my parents, family, and friends for support, I also leaned into my own experience as the captain of the wrestling team at Howell High School for the last two years.
Holding 75 wins under my belt taught me the importance of teamwork and planning. This is why we all knew it was important to follow the 'in case of emergency' plan we worked out with Dr. Martinez, in case I ever had a cardiac event—which included my friends knowing how to perform CPR successfully.
My mom always says, "We need to be our own advocates for our health." My friends and teammates were aware of my condition, and thanks to Trevor's dad who is a NJ State Trooper, taught them CPR. Of course, they never thought they would actually need to do it, but that's what saved my life.
Dr. Martinez says about 85% of people with HCM go undiagnosed. This has made me realize the significance of CPR training in our society and why I am so eager to share my story. If you do not know CPR, learn it. You never know whose life you might save.
J.J. Machnik is a recent high school graduate (Howell High School) and dedicated wrestler known for his resilience and strength both on and off the mat. Despite having complications from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, he has shown remarkable determination and perseverance.
All views expressed are the author's own.
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Correction, 7/10/24, 10:17 a.m. EDT: The headline was corrected to say wrestler.
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