In early 2023, Burbank resident Walter Lewis already knew he had mild coronary artery disease. What he learned next likely saved his life.
“I was at home reading something I got in the mail from Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center,” recalled Walter, 72. “That’s how I learned that the hospital offered a cardiac rehab fitness center.”
Located on Hollywood Way across from Burbank Airport, the Providence Cardiac Rehab Fitness Center offers comprehensive and individualized support with exercise, nutrition and health education. Walter spoke to his cardiologist about the program and joined immediately. He began exercising at the center three days a week.
Taking care of his heart
“My dad was never a go-to-the-gym kind of guy,” said his eldest son Christopher. “He comes here because of the people, because of the support he gets there. This is truly a special place.”
Every month the center hosts a cardiac support group. In honor of Heart Month, the February 2025 meeting focused on CPR education. “We had a physician and nurse from Providence come and talk about hands-only CPR, dropping the fears associated with doing CPR incorrectly and stressing of just doing it,” says Tanner Young, ACSM-EP, EIM2, Cardiac Rehab Fitness Program Coordinator at Providence.
Walter participated in the class and later shared what he learned about CPR with his sons.
“My dad and I had a 20-minute conversation on my drive home from work one day,” said his younger son Joseph. “He was explaining what he learned in the class, and it stuck with me.”
A son’s heroic actions
A few weeks later, on March 15, 2025, around 7 p.m., Walter called Joseph to say he wasn't feeling well and asked his son to come over.
“I live only a couple of blocks away,” said Joseph. “It sounded kind of urgent, so I rushed over there. When I walked in the house, I found my dad unresponsive on the couch. He had no pulse, his lips were very blue; I immediately called 911.”
Joseph explained the situation to the operator. “She was very clear that I needed to start CPR immediately. My dad was sitting upright on the couch at the time, and I was having trouble getting him off the couch. The operator was very calm and told me that if I did not get him off the couch and start CPR he would die. So with all the power I could might, I pulled him off the couch. I got him on the floor and did CPR, remembering everything my dad had told me about a few weeks earlier.”
Help soon arrived. “I’ll never forget the Burbank PD officer tapping me on the shoulder and saying, ‘let me take over,’” said Joseph.
Joseph then called his brother Christopher who rushed over, arriving right after the Burbank Fire Department and paramedics.
Walter was stabilized and then transported to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center—the same hospital where both of his sons and grandsons were born and where Walter serves as a volunteer in the Spiritual Care department. He spent five days at the hospital recovering from cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat that can be fatal. He also had surgery to implant a cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD).
ICDs are small battery-powered devices placed in the chest or under the skin that detect and stop dangerous arrhythmias.
“The reason he is alive and well today is because he got immediate CPR and received emergent treatment in the Emergency Department,” said his cardiologist Roy Mukku, M.D.
Walter and his family are filled with gratitude –for the City of Burbank’s 911 operator and the first responders, Providence Saint Joseph’s physicians and nurses, and the staff at the Cardiac Rehab Fitness Center.
Two months later Walter returned to the Cardiac Rehab Fitness Center and resumed exercising under the supervision of the center’s experts, enjoying the camaraderie and friendships he has found there.
“Because of all of them, I am now a go-to-the-gym kind of guy!”
To learn more about Providence Cardiac Rehab Fitness Center, call 818-953-4494, or visit providence.org/SaintJoseph.
