Local man brought back to life after heart attack (video)

Rafael Marquez, 63, was working alongside his brother in a car repair shop when he suddenly didn’t feel “right.” Recognizing he needed help, he asked his brother to drive him to the emergency room at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center. Even though Rafael lives minutes away from Sharp Chula Vista, his brother knew time was of the essence. In fact, as they were driving toward the hospital, Rafael passed out.

Kimberly Villegas, the nurse who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Rafael once he reached the ER, remembers Rafael arrived “pale, cool and diaphoretic” (sweating profusely) and was in desperate need of emergency care to save his life.

Rafael, a father to two sons and one daughter, doesn’t remember much from that day. However, his wife, Adelaida Marquez, will never forget the moment she got the call that he had been taken to the ER. She was shocked, as this was his first heart attack.

After undergoing surgery and receiving additional diagnoses related to his heart, Rafael was referred to Sharp Chula Vista’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program to support his recovery.

Watch the video above to learn more about Rafael’s powerful story and hear from his Sharp care team.

Learn more about heart care at Sharp, including clinical trials; get the latest health and wellness news, trends and patient stories from Sharp Health News; and subscribe to our weekly newsletter by clicking the "Sign up" link below.