'Widowmaker' heart attack survivor gets married in Dallas hospital
DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — A heart attack known for making widows instead led a Dallas man to marry the love of his life, right in the hospital room.
Marriage was never in the cards for Dennis Ackerman and Jodi Lazar, who have been together for seven years.
"When we met, we promised to each other, we're not getting married again," Ackerman said.
But life dealt them a new hand.
After about a week of chest pain, Ackerman was admitted to the Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital in Dallas.
"Next thing I knew, I coded, and the staff brought me back to life," the 62-year-old said. "They worked so hard to save me."
The main artery in Ackerman's heart was 100 percent blocked.
"Had he not been in the hospital, that would have been fatal," said Dr. Robert Stoler, one of the doctors who treated him. "That rhythm he had or that cardiac arrest, if he was at home, he would not have survived it."
Dr. Stoler put in two stents to save Ackerman's life and then took him to the ICU.
"[Lazar] came in, and the first thing she said was yes, which was the answer to the question, are we going to get married," he said.
She was in Austin when she got the news he had a "widowmaker" heart attack.
"All I wanted to do was get up here and tell him yes because I knew he had stayed alive for me," Lazar said.
Before they could even share the good news, Ackerman's heart stopped again.
"And they brought me back to life a second time," said Ackerman.
That's when he and Lazar knew they couldn't wait any longer to say, 'I do."
Their family, along with hospital staff, worked together to quickly plan a wedding. The dress code was "hospital chic" and the rings were made of pipe cleaners. The hospital chefs even made the pair a special reception dinner.
"It was great," Lazar said. "It was great. All that joy in the middle or horror, it just really made us – I mean, why not? What could be better?"
Moving forward, they plan to make the most of this second chance at life and love.
"Everyone here held my heart, kept me alive, and we're going to hold each other's hearts forever," said Ackerman.
He has now been released from the hospital and will continue 12 weeks of outpatient therapy through Baylor Scott & White.
