From treadmill to cardiac arrest: A 28-year-old's journey after collapsing mid-workout

Kenny Hartley, 28, remembers stepping onto his gym's treadmill for a workout but has no memory of ever stepping off.

While training to become a firefighter, Hartley, a former Air Force aircraft mechanic and current licensed EMT, collapsed mid-workout having gone into sudden cardiac arrest due to an arrhythmia -- an abnormal heart rhythm.

For the next few days, Hartley was in and out of consciousness, struggling to piece together what was happening to him.

However, nine days after collapsing, Hartley was discharged from the hospital, thanks to life-saving care from cardiologist Niraj Parekh, MD, at Loma Linda University Medical Center - Murietta, along with the coordinated efforts of an entire medical team.

Since Hartley does not have any memory of the actual event, his understanding of what happened comes from the accounts of bystanders, first responders, and supportive family members who helped him piece the story together.

"I was told I put my feet to the side of the treadmill, stepped back, gasped for air, then collapsed," Hartley said.

A nearby witness, who also happened to be an off-duty police officer, rushed to Hartley's aid and performed CPR until first responders arrived. Once in the ambulance, Hartley went into ventricular fibrillation, a potentially deadly heart rhythm that prevents the heart's blood from pumping effectively. Responders were able to shock the heart into ventricular tachycardia, an irregular, rapid heartbeat, and shock it again to regain a stable rhythm.

Kenny's oxygen levels had dropped to a dangerously low point, and he was struggling to breathe, leading doctors to intubate him to secure his airway.

But once at the hospital, his oxygen levels remained dangerously low, prompting immediate intubation.

Hartley recalled being foggy through various tests and scans, which all initially showed nothing abnormal until doctors discovered that in addition to sudden cardiac arrest, he suffered a bilateral pulmonary embolism (PE) - blood clots in both lungs.

Oddly enough, doctors also found a glob of gum lodged in his airway, a direct result of his previous gum-chewing habit while exercising.

Hartley spent around six days in the ICU under medical sedation until his oxygen levels stabilized. Once in stable condition, he was transferred to the progressive care unit to undergo further tests and start physical therapy. However, the shift from intense firefighter training to taking baby steps around the hospital floor was a dramatic shift Hartley wasn't prepared for.

"I liked having physical therapy, but I also hated it," Hartley recalled. "I wanted to get up and walk on my own without having someone's arm around me. I wanted to get back to where I was."

During that time, Parekh, his cardiologist, attempted to pin down exactly what caused the arrhythmia and subsequent cardiac arrest.

"There are many possible causes for arrhythmias," Parekh said. "In older adults, they're often related to a blockage. They can also stem from conditions you're born with, a weakened heart muscle, other structural abnormalities, or even medication interactions."

For Hartley, Parekh says his cardiac arrest was likely due to unusual congenital myopathy, a condition present at birth that predisposed him to the event.

"We also found he had significant shortness of breath, which was likely due to bilateral lung clots," Parekh added. "To protect him from future episodes of cardiac arrest, we implanted a defibrillator to monitor for dangerous arrhythmias."

Kenny with Justin Melvin, one of the first responders to tend to him.

In the case of arrhythmia, the defibrillator -- which Hartley will have for the rest of his life -- can restore his heartbeat by pacing it back into rhythm or delivering a corrective shock. It also provides doctors with valuable information about how his heart is functioning during day-to-day activities.

After over a week in the hospital, Hartley was discharged with strict restrictions, including no lifting over 10 pounds. The restrictions gave him time to work on heart rate control with his physical therapists, alternating between elevating his heart rate through cardio and allowing it to return to normal. Once his restrictions started lifting, he was able to add strength training to his routine, but with caution.

"It's about listening to my body," Hartley said. "If a weight feels too heavy, I don't push it. If I feel any strain, I stop."

As for his career goals, he never considered giving up. With the support of his family and a new understanding of listening to his body, Hartley has a clear outlook on his life.

"I didn't die for a reason, so I might as well make the most of it," Hartley said.

As for the lifesaving measures during Hartley's medical emergency, Parekh wants everyone to understand the importance of learning basic CPR skills.

"In Kenny's case, the immediate CPR intervention by an off-duty officer made all the difference," Parekh said.

For those concerned about their heart health, Parekh encourages people to learn their family history and seek appropriate testing. For more information, call 951-290-4533 or visit our website here.