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LITTLE BIT OF A BREEZE BUT
LOOKS LIKE NOT ENOUGH TO MESS
WITH THE PARADE.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR HEART
STOPS BEATING?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO SURVIVE?
>> TONIGHT WE MEET A BROOKLYN
MAN WHO LIVED AFTER HIS HEART
STOPPED FOR 47 MINUTES.
IN A CBS 2 EXCLUSIVE WE HAVE
HIS AMAZING STORY OF SURVIVAL
THANKS TO A TEAM OF DOCTORS
WHO REFUSED TO GIVE UP UNTIL
THEY BROUGHT HIM BACK FROM THE
DEAD.
>> THESE DOCTORS DID NOT STOP.
[ PAUSE ]
[ CRYING ]
>> WITHOUT THEM, I'M SERIOUS
WHEN I TELL YOU, I WOULDN'T BE
HERE.
>> Reporter: JOE IS A MEDICAL
MIRACLE.
HE HAS BEEN TO THE EDGE AND
BACK IT A PLACE MOST PEOPLE
DON'T RETURN FROM.
TODAY, HE IS AT HOME IN
BROOKLYN BUT THREE MONTHS AGO,
HE LITERALLY DIED.
[ FLAT LINE TONE ]
>> I THINK A MIRACLE BEST
DESCRIBES IT.
>> Reporter: JOE SUFFERED
SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST.
HIS HEART STOPPED BEATING FOR
47 MINUTES.
>> NOT A MOMENT GOING BY THAT
I DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED EVERY
SECOND BECAUSE IT ONLY TAKES A
BLINK EVERY AN EYE TO LOSE
YOUR LIVE.
>> Reporter: THE 56-YEAR-OLD
FATHER OF TWO RETURNED TO NEW
YORK-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL TO
THANK THE MEDICAL TEAM WHO
SAVED HIS LIFE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> YOU LOOK SO GREAT.
>> Reporter: AND TO SHARE HIS
STORY WITH CBS 2.
>> THE DOCTORS THEMSELVES WERE
RESPONSIBLE FOR GIVING ME MY
CHANCE TO LIVE AGAIN.
>> Reporter: TWO DOCTORS LED
THE TEAM WHO WORKED ON JOE.
>> IT'S A MIRACLE FOR WHICH IT
IS DIFFICULT TO FIND WORDS.
>> WHEN JOE CAME IN, HE WAS
TALKING.
IT WAS HIS PRESENCE THAT WHEN
HE FIRST CAME IN MADE US SAY
WE ARE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP.
>> Reporter: BACK TO THE
AUGUST DAY JOE WAS LUCKY TO
EVEN GET HERE TO THE EMERGENCY
ROOM.
HE WALKED THROUGH THESE DOORS
AT 11:06 IN THE MORNING
COLLAPSES FULL CARDIAC ARREST.
THE DOCTORS WORKED FRANTICALLY
TO SAVE HIS LIFE.
4500 CHEST PROTECTIONS,
SHOCKED HIM WITH A
DEFIBRILLATION.
STABILIZED HIM AT 11:55 A.M.
HE HAS LITTLE RECOLLECTION OF
THE DAY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
WALKING THROUGH THE DOORS.
>> I HEARD SOMEONE CALL MY
NAME AND I JUST WENT OUT.
>> Reporter: JOE'S DOCTORS SAY
ONLY ONE OUT OF FOUR PEOPLE
SURVIVES SUDDEN CARDIAC
ARREST.
MOST DIE WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF
HEART FAILURE AND THOSE WHO
SURVIVE, 30% SUFFER SERIOUS
BRAIN DAMAGE.
WAS THERE A TIME AFTER 47
MINUTES THAT SOMEONE IN THE
ROOM FINALLY SAID, GUYS,
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?
TIME TO END IT?
>> THERE WERE WHISPERS OF THAT
BUT I IMAGINE THAT HE WAS A
MAN WITH A FAMILY AND A FAMILY
SOMEPLACE...
AND I DIDN'T WANT TO GO OUT TO
TELL THAT FAMILY THAT WE HAD
LOST HIM.
I HAD TO KEEP GOING.
>> Reporter: THIS PROCEDURE
HELPED SAVE JOE'S LIFE.
THESE COOLING PADS NOT
AVAILABLE IN ALL EMERGENCY
ROOMS LOWERED JOE'S BODY
TEMPERATURE TO 91 DEGREES.
ESSENTIAL IN PREVENTING LONG-
TERM NEUROLOGICAL DAMAGE AND
PRESERVING BRAIN FUNCTION.
PLACED IN A MEDICALLY INDUCED
COMA, INCREDIBLY, JOE BEGAN TO
WAKE UP JUST THREE DAYS LATER.
WITH NO BRAIN DAMAGE.
>> FOR ME, THIS WAS -- I WAS
BLESSED THAT DAY GOD WAS WITH
ME AND BROUGHT ME HERE.
>> Reporter: DOCTORS RESTARTED
JOE'S HEART BUT HE SAYS IT WAS
HIS FAMILY'S SUPPORT THAT
SUSTAINED HIM.
HIS WIFE JANET STILL CAN'T
TALK ABOUT IT.
HE REMEMBERS HEARING HIS SON
JOEY'S VOICE WHEN HE WAS STILL
IN THE COMA.
>> THERE WAS THINGS HE WANTED
TO DO WITH ME THAT WE HAVEN'T
HAD A CHANCE TO DO.
AND THAT I SHOULD HANG IN
THERE.
I WOULD SQUEEZE MY DAUGHTER'S
HAND.
SHE WOULD ASK ME TO TELL ME
HOW STRONG I WAS.
>> I NEVER REALLY LOOKED AT
HIM AS A MIRACLE DURING THOSE
WEEKS BECAUSE I ALWAYS HAD
HOPE.
>> Reporter: HIS DOCTORS SAY
JOE'S CASE IS ONE FOR THE
RECORD BOOKS, ONE THEY WILL
NEVER FORGET.
>> I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS.
THIS IS EXTREMELY RARE.
WE WERE ALL VERY EMOTIONALLY
INVOLVED AS WELL.
>> Reporter: WE'RE HAPPY TO
REPORT JOE IS MAKING STEADY
PROGRESS.
>> I'M NOT COMPLAINING.
BECAUSE NOW WHERE I HAVE BEEN.
>> Reporter: YOU'RE DOING
PRETTY WELL ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED.
>> YEAH.
I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING
A CHANCE TO LIVE A LONG NORMAL
LIFE AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT
THEY SHOULDN'T TAKE FOR
GRANTED EVER YOUR LIFE AND
YOUR FAMILY BECAUSE IT COULD
BE TAKE AWAY FROM YOU SO
QUICKLY.
>> JOE TIRALOSI IS GOING
THROUGH CARDIAC REHAB RIGHT
NOW.
THE PROFESSIONAL CHAUFFEUR IS
LOOKING TO GET HIS LIFE BACK
TO NORMAL ONE DAY AT A TIME.
>> PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE THESE
THINGS SAY THEY SEE THE LIGHT.
>> WHEN HE GOT INTO THE
EMERGENCY ROOM HE COLLAPSED
WITHIN ABOUT TWO MINUTES, 30
SECONDS OF TALKING AND DOESN'T
REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM THE
CARDIAC EPISODE BUT WHEN HE
WAS IN THE COMA HE REMEMBERED
THE CONVERSATIONS GOING ON
AROUND HIM.
HE COULDN'T RESPOND BUT HE
REMEMBERS THEM TALKING TO HIM
SO HE WAS SOMEWHAT COGNIZANT
AT THAT POINT.
>> TALK ABOUT BEATING THE
ODDS.
>> EVEN THE DOCTORS SAY THIS
IS A ONE IN A NEVER HAPPENED