LYCOMING COUNTY, Pa. — 22-year-old Ben Garverick is surrounded by his friends and family. But his being here is nothing short of a miracle, according to medical professionals at UPMC Williamsport.
In June, Ben went into cardiac arrest at his home in Linden, and his life was on the line.
"We were pulling a sump pump out of the basement, and as we were pulling it out, I just flopped and fell down," said Ben Garverick, Linden.
"It was like a nightmare at the time. Looking back on it, it was surreal, and I could not believe it was happening," said Joy Garverick, Ben's mom.
Ben struggled to breathe, and his heart began to fail. He was flown to UPMC Williamsport. He was put onto an ECMO machine to help pump his blood, but his chances of living were slim.
"They say with cardiac arrest, your chances of survival are 50/50, but with him, they were much less because of the downtime," said Rebecca Rhone, Nurse Practitioner.
But Ben did survive. He was discharged from the hospital just a few weeks later.
"Words can't describe it; how grateful and how much I appreciate everything they did for me. They got me back on my feet. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here," said Ben.
"That is my boy, that is my boy. Very thankful that he is here," said Barry Garverick, Ben's dad.
Now, just a few months after Ben's heart attack, the Garverick family and the staff at UPMC Williamsport gathered at the hospital to talk about his recovery.
The family thanked the doctors and nurses for saving his life.
"UPMC provided world-class care right here in Williamsport. We should be proud of that, we should be proud of having this facility and care in our area," said Joy.
"It just makes all of the hours and time struggling and just worrying about him worth it," said Rebecca.
Ben told Newswatch 16 that he considers this a second chance at life, and he intends to live it to the fullest.
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