Surviving the widowmaker: How Radford came back healthier than before

On May 7, 2024, Radford Neary, 68, survived a heart attack and cardiac arrest. For a moment, though — he was gone.

"It was a widowmaker," Radford says.

The term "widowmaker" is often used to describe one of the most dangerous types of heart attacks. It happens when a major artery — called left anterior descending (LAD) artery — is severely blocked. This artery supplies the largest portion of blood to your heart, so when it's blocked, the damage can be life-threatening. If this kind of heart attack happens outside of a hospital, the chances of surviving it are very low.

Radford's heart attack and subsequent cardiac arrest — which occurs when the heart stops beating — happened in the parking lot of a Home Depot. Against all odds, he was resuscitated before it was too late, thanks to a coincidence that placed first responders on the scene.

Sudden cardiac arrest and a fateful intervention

Radford and his wife normally shop at the Home Depot in Delaware, but that day he impulsively drove to the one in Glen Mills, Pa., closer to home. Had he not made that decision, "I probably wouldn't be here today," he says.

That morning, Radford had finished cutting his grass, and though he had no chest pains or shortness of breath, he recalls that "things looked a little foggy to me." Still, he drove to Home Depot to buy a gallon of paint. After returning to his car, he put the paint on the passenger side, walked behind the car and collapsed.

While Radford lay unconscious in the parking lot, state troopers who were in the area responding to an unrelated call discovered Radford lying on the ground. They immediately jumped into action, starting CPR and calling for an ambulance.

During a heart attack, when blood flow to the heart is blocked, heart rhythms can become abnormal. This can trigger an electrical malfunction in the heart muscle and lead to cardiac arrest, like a sudden power outage to the body. To survive, treatment must be administered within minutes using CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) to shock the heart and restore a normal heartbeat.

"From what I understand, they used the defibrillator on me in the parking lot," Radford says.

When the paramedics showed up, they took over and intubated Radford. On the way to Riddle Hospital, part of Main Line Health, they were able to establish a heart rhythm, but it remained unstable and Radford kept "coding" (his heart kept stopping).

A 5 percent chance to live

Radford was met in Riddle's Emergency Department by Marwan Badri, MD, an interventional cardiologist, who said he would do all he could to save him.

In the cardiac catheterization lab, Dr. Badri saw that Radford had a 95 percent left anterior descending (LAD) blockage. He and his team were able to restore blood flow by placing a stent in Radford's coronary artery.

After the procedure, the doctor spoke with Radford's wife, Rosalyn, and daughter, Amanda, in the intensive care unit (ICU) and prepared them for the possibility that Radford might not survive the first night.

"He told us that my dad had a 5 percent chance of living and that it didn't look good, but he was trying to give him the best chance that he could," says Amanda.

Radford had been without a heartbeat for an undetermined length of time and the extent of damage to his body was yet to be determined. His family did some sleuthing, comparing the time on the Home Depot receipt to when emergency services were dispatched. They estimated Radford was down for 2-4 minutes. While this increased his chances of recovering without permanent brain injury, it was long enough to take a serious toll.

The aftershocks of cardiac arrest

During cardiac arrest, it takes mere minutes for a person to lose consciousness, become disabled or die. Technically, Radford had died in the Home Depot parking lot and the loss of blood and oxygen to his organs and other body parts caused a cascade of health complications in the ICU.

Within just a few days, Radford's condition, already unstable, took a frightening turn. His kidneys shut down and he was put on dialysis. Blood clots began to form in his neck and arm, and brain scans revealed he'd suffered two small strokes.

For nine days, Radford lay intubated, unable to breathe on his own. When the breathing tube was finally removed and he began to wake up, another challenge emerged — he couldn't speak above a whisper. The trauma had left his vocal cords weak and fragile.

Radford's blood pressure, which was previously high, dropped significantly, making him extremely weak.

"While I was at Riddle, I couldn't get out of bed — everything in the room kept spinning," he recalls.

Still, day by day, he got better. After three weeks, his kidney function had improved enough to stop dialysis, and on May 31, Radford was transferred to Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital to begin the next phase of his recovery.

Regaining strength one step, and one word, at a time

Radford was an inpatient at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital through June 14. While his life was no longer in peril, he still had much work ahead in his recovery. Because he'd been bedridden for close to a month, his primary focus was regaining strength and mobility in his legs.

Dan, a physical therapist, worked with Radford daily to get him walking again. He practiced climbing steps, catching a ball and "surfing" on a special board designed to improve his balance. Radford also worked with occupational and speech therapists to restore his movements and vocal strength.

After his discharge home, Radford continued his recovery with home care and started walking daily in his neighborhood, including hills. That conditioning served him well when he began outpatient cardiac rehab in September, which he completed in January 2025. He continues to do outpatient speech therapy for his voice.

A family history of heart disease

"They say I'm a miracle," Radford says of the doctors who treated him.

Because he'd never experienced chest pain or shortness of breath, Radford gave little thought to his risk prior to his heart attack. He had high cholesterol and took medication for hypertension, but in his 68 years, he'd never seen a cardiologist despite a strong family history of heart disease.

"My dad passed away at age 40. He had four heart attacks," Radford says, adding that his mother underwent a quadruple heart bypass at age 70 and lived another 13 years.

As a maintenance worker at Delaware County Courthouse, Radford shoveled snow, lifted equipment and was always in motion. In his leisure time, he played tennis, basketball and softball. Even after retiring, he remained active, caring for his lawn and playing tennis and soccer with his grandchildren.

"I always thought I was in good shape," he says.

Radford's experience highlights the importance of talking to your doctor about your family history and getting screened for heart disease if you have any risk factors.

The impact of a healthier lifestyle

The good habits Radford adopted after his heart attack have stuck. He still walks at least 30 minutes each day, maintains a healthy diet and chooses water instead of soda to stay hydrated.

"I want to keep my kidneys healthy," he says.

Radford's numbers have improved, too. His cholesterol is under control thanks to a daily medication, and he no longer needs blood pressure medicine thanks to his walks. He's still on a blood thinner, though he anticipates that ending soon, and because he has a stent, he takes a prescription drug to prevent the formation of blood clots.

"I told my family doctor that I feel like I'm in better condition health-wise today than I was before my heart attack," he says.

A man of faith, Radford frequently visits churches to share his life-and-death story and praises God for his second chance. He's also thankful for the team at Riddle Hospital and Main Line Health.

In hindsight, Radford wishes he'd been advised to see a cardiologist before his heart attack. He now sees Geoffrey P. Tremblay, MD, a cardiologist at Riddle Hospital, for regular visits and encourages others to get checked.

"It can save your life," he says.

Next steps:

Schedule an appointment with a cardiologist
Schedule a heart risk assessment for you or a loved one
How genetics and family history can reveal your heart disease risk