An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is helping Bruce continue his charitable work

A former New York Jets football player, Bruce Harper discovered he had cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle, after his first sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). His heart stopped pumping normally, nearly costing him his life.

“They tell me that during my first SCA, I collapsed and was revived by a defibrillator,” Bruce says. “All I remember is waking up in the hospital the next day. I was then told that I had to have an ICD implanted in my chest. Over the years, and after my ICD saved me three more times, I personally realize the brevity of life.”

Bruce went on to found Heroes and Cool Kids, a mentoring program that matches retired athletes with high school leaders. It now serves about 20,000 students each year.

“I wanted to make whatever time I had remaining count for something good,” Bruce says, “so I gave my life over to giving. My near-death experiences have caused me to examine myself in search of real purpose in life.”

BAKKEN INVITATION HONOREE

Medtronic co-founder Earl Bakken often asks patients, “What are you going to do with your extra life?” To answer that question, Medtronic Philanthropy supports the Bakken Invitation, a global call to all patients to make a positive difference in the world with their “extra years” of quality life. For his extraordinary efforts, Bruce was named a 2013 Medtronic Bakken Invitation honoree, earning a $20,000 grant for his Heroes and Cool Kids program.