Heart attack survivor meets doctors who saved his life at Sharp Grossmont Hospital

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- David Worsham, a 44-year-old heart attack survivor, reunited with the medical team that saved his life at Sharp Grossmont Hospital on Friday.

Just months ago, Worsham's future seemed uncertain when he suffered a heart attack on the way to urgent care, but thanks to the swift actions of his wife, paramedics and hospital staff, he is now planning for the future.

"Just spend every moment I possibly can with my family and live my best life and work hard, contribute to the community as much as I can, and make sure my daughters grow up happy and healthy," said Worsham while reflecting on his recovery and future plans.

Worsham experienced a heart attack while his wife was driving him to urgent care, complaining of back pain. His wife, Heather, pulled over at a 7-Eleven and performed CPR with some Good Samaritans until paramedics arrived.

The paramedics quickly transported him to Sharp Grossmont Hospital, where doctors used a high-tech device known as "the world's smallest heart pump" to restore his blood flow and clear the blockage that caused the heart attack.

Despite a family history of heart disease, Worsham had no obvious warning signs before the heart attack, which led to a four-day coma before successful surgery.

Heart surgeon Dr. Alexandra Kharazi noted the silent nature of such medical conditions, emphasizing the importance of awareness.

"And I know a lot of things are labeled the silent killer but I really want to drive home this point that this is a prime example of that, right?" said Dr. Kharazi. "You can have no symptoms and just have a heart attack."

Worsham's wife expressed relief and gratitude while reflecting on the ordeal and her husband's recovery.

"But God had other plans and I don't have to walk alone and we can watch our girls graduate, and we can watch them go to prom, and watch them get married, and we can grow old together," she stated.

Worsham's story is a testament to the life-saving power of quick medical intervention and the support of loved ones, offering hope and inspiration to others facing similar challenges.

KUSI's Dan Plante contributed to this report.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.