Heart attack survivor gives thanks for faith and family
After Aaron Britt, 40, suffered a heart attack while painting a 1942 Packard automobile with his cousin, David Britt, at Taylored Auto Body late one night in April, EMTs and Lodi firefighters saved his life, for which he thanked them back in August.
Since then, Britt has changed the way in which he lives his life, taking an extended leave from work to spend more time with his eight-month-old daughter, Lily, and fiancee, Rachel Rickert, as well as to improve his health.
“Obviously, the situation in April was literally life-changing, so what I’ve been doing is taking time off. I’ve totally dedicated my time to this baby. Her birth and my cardiac arrest were so close together.”
Lily was born on March 15, only weeks before Britt went into cardiac arrest on April 6.
“When I came out of the hospital, I didn’t go back to work due to the doctor’s orders and the condition I was in. I was not fit for work so I’ve been taking care of my daughter and myself,” Britt said.
Britt credits Rickert with helping him to develop healthier eating habits and encouraging him to purchase a gym membership at Twin Arbors Athletic Club in October. Besides improving his physical health, Britt, a devout Christian, has begun to appreciate his life more than he did in the past, as well as improving his spiritual health by attending church services more regularly at Christian Life Center in Stockton.
“When you have something like a cardiac arrest, being born and raised a Christian, you’re immediately grateful that the Lord saved you. I think God had a great part in keeping me around, especially for Lily. This is going to sound cliché, but I stop and smell the roses now. One thing I can say for sure is that, something I didn’t do before the cardiac arrest, I wake up every morning and I’m grateful to be alive. There’s a spirit of gratitude in me that wasn’t there before,” Britt said.
Besides his faith and family, Britt is also grateful for Taylored Auto Body, who he said supported him during his recovery, checking in on him frequently and asking if they could help him or his family in anyway. Looking toward the future, Britt wants to pursue his education, although he has not yet decided what he will study. He also wants to become even more involved with his church, which he sees as just another way to express his gratitude for being alive.
“In my heart of hearts, in my soul of souls, I want to do work for God and my church. That’s where my passion lies, that’s what I want to do,” Britt said.