WORCESTER, Mass. - Tricia and Andy Macisaac were enjoying a normal July day when Andy abruptly hit the floor.

"Often, Andy plays with our dogs and falls on the floor and they jump all over him," Tricia Macisaac said of her husband. "It's a pretty common thing that he does. Initially I thought, 'Oh, there he is.' And then, quickly found out it was not the case."

What You Need To Know

  • Shrewsbury's Andy Macisaac suffered cardiac arrest this past July, despite having no prior cardiac history

  • Macisaac had three blockages in his heart, which surgeons were able to fix with bypass surgery

  • Macisaac was at UMass Memorial Medical Center Thursday to thank the team of first responders and team of surgeons who helped save his life

  • Andy was able to leave the hospital after five days, and returned to work after three months

"My husband has collapsed in the kitchen," Macisaac said to the dispatcher. When asked whether or not her husband was breathing, she said, "He's gasping for air. He's not alert."

Andy was in cardiac arrest. Family members performed CPR until first responders arrived on scene. They were working for half an hour to get his heart started again. He was then rushed to UMass Memorial Medical Center.

"So what happened to him is that one of the arteries that supplies blood to his heart blocked off, and it caused that area to very quickly not get enough blood," said Dr. Jennifer Walker, chief of cardiac surgery at the hospital. "So, instead of beating, that part of the heart started to just fibrillate." 

After treating three blockages, two days later, Andy was awake. He doesn't remember much of the incident, but remembers his brothers being by his side.

"They were just staring at me," Macisaac said. "So, that was kind of my first conscious memory. Like, 'Hey, what's going on? We have a concert to go to Friday. Are we going?'"

Andy was back at UMass Memorial Medical Center Thursday, with a chance to thank the EMS professionals, as well as Shrewsbury Fire and Police, and the health care team who helped save his life.

"It's pretty overwhelming to know these people do this on a daily basis," Macisaac said. "And I'm one of the lucky ones. I beat the odds, but I was only able to beat the odds because this team, these resources were in place."

He also beat the odds when he was released from the hospital in less than a week, returning to work three months later.

"Most people weren't as lucky as he was to be able to be resuscitated so quickly, and not have any of what we call 'down time,' time where his brain wasn't being given blood," Walker said.

Macisaac and his wife are now looking forward to his second chance, with hopes of traveling and getting their son through school. He's also hoping to share his story as much as he can.

"Educate people on the importance of cardiac health, and getting preventative care," Macisaac said.