Gloucester County man suffers electrical shock, sending him on journey of life or death

SWEDESBORO, New Jersey (WPVI) -- 6abc has another installment of a new segment called Hope's Heartbeat, which focuses on a feeling that unites us all.

So many of us encounter challenges in life and some who have faced adversity channel that hope into positive change.

John Paul Cavalieri is one of those people after an accident landed him on a harrowing journey of life and death.

"I was glued to the scaffolding for 20 to 30 seconds," he said. "I blacked out."

That was May 2019, Cavalieri suffered an electrical shock while at work.

He recovered, but unbeknownst to him, his heart never did. He found that out the hard way three years later.

"I crashed completely," he said. "A week before my wedding, sorry."

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Eager to get him down the aisle, and blend two loving families with eight children between them, doctors stabilized Cavalieri with a medical drip to at least buy him some time and give him hope.

"It gave me the strength and hope to keep going," said Cavalieri.

But after joining hearts with his new bride, he knew that the drip would only temporarily extend his life.

For a chance to live beyond a few weeks, he'd need a new heart, and one was not guaranteed.

"They had to have that conversation. You know, the 'get-your-affairs-in-order' conversation," Cavalieri recalled.

Then came the miracle: doctors told Cavalieri that a heart was available.

On September 6, 2022, against so many odds, Cavalieri got his transplant.

His family recorded him hearing his new heart for the first time.

Aware of and grateful for his second chance, Cavalieri wasted no time giving back to others.

He hosted hours of live TikTok calls daily from his hospital bed to other heart patients around the world.

"It was just really gratifying to be able to help other people and people would rely on me to go on there and talk to them," he said.

The videos found an immediate audience, not just with other heart patients but with doctors, too.

Six months after his transplant, Cavalieri and his wife were honored in California at the Edwards Lifesciences Patient Experience.

"For the majority of the time, my hope level was through the roof," said Cavalieri.

And while all of this unfolded, he set a new goal.

Encouraged by the people watching his videos, Cavalieri determined that on the first anniversary of his transplant surgery, he'd run up the Rocky steps.

This week, he accomplished that goal.

"Worry about being present for your family and your friends," he said. "Because in a heartbeat it can be taken away."

If you or someone you know has triumphed when faced with a life-threatening situation, Action News wants to tell your story.

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