Two young wrestlers are hailed as heroes after saving their teammate’s life during training.
Giovanni Scafidi, 19, and Trevor Hodgins, 14, rushed to the aid of then 18-year-old JJ Machnik in May when he went into cardiac arrest.
The trio were preparing for an upcoming tournament at Howell High School in New Jersey, at a teammate’s home, during a practice hosted by the Howell Predator Wrestling Club.
Machnik was still training at the club after ending his season at Real Madrid a few months earlier when he suddenly suffered a heart attack.
Hodgins and Scafidi knew that the team captain had been diagnosed with a genetic heart condition a few years earlier, so they frantically performed CPR on him.
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Trevor Hodgins (left) and Giovanni Scafidi (right) rushed to the aid of then 18-year-old JJ Machnik in May when he went into cardiac arrest
Machnik was exercising on a treadmill when the incident occurred last May. He was immediately admitted to hospital and placed in an induced coma. He woke up and doctors told him that his friends had probably saved his life
“I looked up and saw him on the ground, and I started screaming his name,” Scafidi said in an interview with “Good Morning America” on Monday.
“It just crossed my mind: He has a heart condition,” the teen continued, before remembering: “This is real.”
Hodgins described the moment the two decided to take action, sitting next to the person they had saved who was able to graduate weeks after the shock.
“Gio and I just stopped what we were doing and just listened,” the boy recalls, telling the program that it was his mother who called 911.
“But we didn’t hear anything at all, so we started CPR.”
It would take five minutes for the emergency services to arrive. The pair were busy performing continuous heart massages to save their friend’s life.
“When you saw him lying on the ground, it was something a mother never expected to see,” Machnik’s mother Laura continued.
She shared how both boys took the time to learn the life-saving measure after she and her husband talked about JJ’s condition years earlier, after he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at age 14.
The trio appeared on Good Morning America to reflect on the scares and how Scafidi, 19, and 14-year-old Hodgins jumped in to save the boy’s life
Machnik’s mother Laura revealed how both boys took the time to learn CPR after she and her husband JJ’s condition was shared with them years earlier. His son was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at age 14
Machnik, Scafidi and Hodgins said the experience bonded them for life, despite nearly causing one to die
After emergency services arrived on the scene, JJ was rushed to the hospital, where he was placed in an induced coma.
Doctors told him he had suffered a heart attack and that his friends’ actions had most likely saved his life.
“I’m glad they were there,” Machnik, flanked by his two rescuers, said during this week’s interview.
“Trevor comes running to resuscitate me, Giovani pulls me off the treadmill,” he continued.
“He gave me air, he gave me the pumps,” he added, pointing to his friends on either side.
The boys explained how they have since experienced the shock as a unique experience that has created a bond with each other. The three even laughed about it during the interview, which was only a month ago that Machnik had been in the hospital for almost two weeks.
Afterwards, the doctors gave him a defibrillator, which was implanted in his chest, so that he could practice again without fear.
According to doctors, May was in a critical condition, or ‘code blue’, several times due to the shock. In the meantime, his brain function has returned to normal and he is recovering further.
“JJ is a fighter and probably the strongest kid I know,” said the now 19-year-old’s father, Jeff Machnik. He and Laura are seen with their son and daughter, as all of his cognitive abilities have now returned
His wrestling career remains somewhat uncertain, though some doctors who worked on him remain optimistic. He poses with the medical team that saved his life
The boy was able to graduate a few weeks later, posing seemingly unfazed for a photo
“JJ is a fighter and probably the strongest kid I know,” said the now 19-year-old’s father, Jeff Machnik.
The three wrestlers called their new bond “good,” as doctors said Machnik will have to undergo physical therapy and speech therapy in the future, despite his cognitive abilities remaining intact.
“If that’s all he has to deal with in the future, then I’ll take it,” Laura told NorthJersey.com.
She said her son was going to go to Delaware Valley University to wrestle in the fall, but he has dropped that plan because he is recovering.
She said he will likely stay closer to home and attend a community college before deciding on his next move. Doctors have told the publication that there is a possibility he could still wrestle competitively.
“That’s up to him,” he said. “Is he at risk of having another event? Yes. Does sports make that more likely? I don’t think so,” said sports cardiologist Matthew Martinez, after equipping the teen with his defibrillator.
“Does JJ have to play sports for the rest of his life? Yes,” he added. “He has to do something to keep himself in shape or he’s going to die of heart disease.
“That problem doesn’t go away whether he wants to wrestle or not.”
Meanwhile, at the time of writing, Machnik’s recovery continues.