When a teenager's heart stopped, his friends jumped into action — and their CPR training saved his life
CBSN
May 10 started like any other day for Laura Machnik, who said good-bye to her 18-year-old son J.J. before she headed to work. He was headed to work out at a friend's house that morning, and after she arrived at work, Machnik confirmed that he had made it there safely.
Just minutes later, her phone rang. It was the mother of the friend J.J. was visiting, calling with news Machnik had been dreading for years.
At 14, J.J. had been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic heart disorder that can cause sudden cardiac arrests. He was an active athlete and never had other symptoms of the disease, like shortness of breath or chest pains. But shortly after beginning his workout alongside friends Trevor Hodgins, 14, and Giovanni Scafidi, 18, his heart stopped.
