Roy and Kim Reid had a routine Memorial Day weekend evening starting with dinner and a movie at their Longwood, Florida home. After Kim went to bed, Roy stayed up to watch another film but eventually dozed off on the couch. Suddenly awakening at 2 a.m., Roy felt excruciating pain in his chest and woke Kim to tell her he thought he was having a heart attack.

At a nearby hospital, medical staff realized Roy’s condition was more severe—a torn aorta requiring immediate open-heart surgery. Roy was airlifted to a hospital in Orlando where doctors successfully performed a six-hour surgery to repair his aorta and replaced a valve. Following the operation, Roy was placed in a medically induced coma for a week to aid his recovery.

Kim and their daughter spent the week at the hospital, anxiously waiting for Roy’s recovery. Fortunately, Roy woke up feeling like he was in the aftermath of a plane crash but gradually improved. Despite unknown reasons for the aortic dissection, Roy’s physical fitness from his taekwondo training and active lifestyle likely played a role in his survival.

Over the course of a month-long hospital stay, Roy attended cardiac rehabilitation to understand his limitations and gradually resumed physical activity post-recovery. In 2019, a heart stent was placed due to complications from the dissection, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roy, now a coach, consultant, motivational speaker, and author, uses his experience to emphasize the importance of trust in personal and professional settings. Having lost weight and embraced walking, he participates in running events, including half-marathons. Roy’s health journey has inspired Kim to prioritize her well-being, and she describes the experience as both “horrible and beautiful” for the positive changes it brought about in their lives. Roy views the ordeal as transformative, providing him with enlightenment and the opportunity to fulfill his purpose.