HAZLETON, Pa. — To observe American Heart Month, a heart attack survivor from Luzerne County found the perfect way to mark the occasion.
Newswatch 16 was part of his reunion with the nurse, who gave him a second chance to live.
"It was kinda surreal that it was happening to me, but it was," said Mark Ondishin, a heart attack survivor.
It's been two years since Mark Ondishin thanked his friends at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Hazleton for saving his life.
"If I was still smoking and out of shape with my heart condition, I definitely don't think I would be here talking to you guys today," added Ondishin.
In honor of American Heart Month, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hazleton put on a special virtual reunion for Ondishin to thank the first responders who nursed him back to health, including Nurse Practitioner K.C. Willis.
"Seeing a really good outcome from a critical situation is something we all work for. It's why we do this everyday," said Willis.
Ondinshin's story shows that anyone can suffer from a heart attack at any time. According to Medical News Today, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.
"It's not a condition that's going to go away. It doesn't get better, you maintain your health, you maintain your condition," explained Willis.
And since his heart attack, Ondishin has completely changed his lifestyle for the better.
"Mark really made an effort here and Mark really changed everything around for the better," added Willis.
"It's really important that the people really adhere to the warnings like I did. I quit smoking that day: August first, 2019," said Ondishin.
Now, Ondishin wants to help other heart attack survivors transform their lives like he did.
"My advice to everyone is to make sure you get a physical, check your blood pressure, check your cholesterol. Those are the things I was not doing. And had I done that sooner, I may not have visited K.C. in that way," added Ondishin.