06/03/2026
On June 25, 2025, Chris Smyth had what felt like a completely ordinary day. He went to work, played nine holes of golf, and talked with his best friend on the drive home. There were no signs, no symptoms, no warning. Then, as he walked down his driveway to get the mail, he collapsed from sudden cardiac arrest.
For nearly 20 minutes, Chris had no pulse. What happened next is the reason he is alive today.
A neighbor, someone he had never even met, saw him fall and stopped to help. That moment set off a chain of lifesaving action. Laura, a former ER nurse, ran across the street on her night off. Leigh, a nurse out walking her dog, saw the commotion and rushed in to help. Together, they performed CPR without stopping, refusing to give up even when there was no pulse.
They didn’t hesitate, stepping in when it mattered most, and because of that, they saved his life.
Today, Chris calls his survival both a miracle and a mission. He is now actively involved with the American Heart Association’s Hard Hats with Heart, using his second chance to raise awareness and support other survivors.
“I’m proof that we are all only one prayer away from a testimony.”
During CPR and AED Awareness Week, his story is a powerful reminder that CPR saves lives.
Learn it. Be ready. Because in a moment you never expect, the life you save could be a neighbor, a loved one, or a stranger who deserves a second chance.
