A father of two whose heart stopped beating at work aged just 24, has helped to unveil a "living tribute" in Harpenden marking his life-changing journey.
An iconic red bench has been erected in Rothamsted Park recognising Joe Baxter who - having navigated a tricky life with heart disease – plans to move to the town with his wife and two small children.
Joe, of Welwyn Garden City, was only 24 and managing a fish and chip shop when he collapsed at work from a cardiac arrest in September 2014.
Joe and his team were cleaning down before closing when his heart stopped beating, and a colleague performed CPR and saved his life.
He went on to spend three weeks in an induced coma, while his now wife Rhiannon and loved ones could only wait by his bedside. Joe went on to be fitted with an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator) which would help prevent him from having another cardiac arrest and was eventually diagnosed with the inherited heart muscle condition arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM).
Both Joe’s physical and mental recoveries have been incredibly challenging. He had believed he was going to die and went on to be diagnosed with PTSD.
The father has since rebuilt his life, going on to marry Rhiannon in 2022, launching several successful businesses and welcoming son Taylon, 6, and baby daughter Seren.
“Looking back, I definitely experienced heart symptoms as a teenager,” Joe recalls. “I’ve never forgotten nearly passing out on the first day of secondary school and many times as a teen when I couldn’t breathe. But then it was put down to nerves or possibly asthma.
“Now of course I worry about my own children. But Taylon has had an initial heart scan where nothing was found and he’ll continue to be closely monitored, along with Seren.
“I really struggled when I came out of hospital. I felt at times like I was bringing everyone down with me and I didn’t want to be here but thankfully we’ve come a long way since then.
"I’m still very much on my heart journey, and have been admitted to hospital twice recently, but it makes you realise how lucky you are to be here.”
Joe’s bench has been placed in the town where he and Rhiannon, who was born and raised in Harpenden, love to take Taylon and Seren.
“What’s happened has been so life changing," Joe added.
"My passion is my family and I’m so proud that my children can go and visit my red bench in the town where they’ll hopefully grow up.”
Joe is one of dozens of people who have bravely shared their story on camera as part of a new national campaign by British Heart Foundation (BHF).
To mark 65 years since BHF began, the charity is unveiling 65 red benches across the UK in tribute to those living with cardiovascular disease, including people like Joe who live with inherited heart muscle disease, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
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