Shock, anger and grief as 45-year-old Brisbane man faces the fight of his life

‘They didn’t think I’d make it through the night’: Brisbane man who had previously had a clean bill of health relives the afternoon he suffered a heart attack and almost died.

An unexplainable sense of doom washed over North Lakes father Jeff Cook as he struggled to pull himself out of the spa, where he’d been trying to relax after a hard day’s work sanding down his veranda.

“I knew I was really sick, but I wasn’t sure what it is,” he said.

But as Mr Cook lay down in bed beads of sweat began to roll down his forehead and the feeling was eclipsed by a crushing pain shooting through his chest and down his arm.

“I knew then it was a heart attack,” he said.

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New data released by the Heart Foundation reveals north Brisbane is a hot spot for heart disease, ranking as the region in the top eight for heart-related hospitalisations in the state.

Every single day an average of 256 Queenslanders are hospitalised for heart disease, and on that fateful day in March 2019, Mr Cook was one of them.

The 45-year-old, who previously had a clean bill of health from his doctor, had a massive heart attack in which a blood clot fully blocked the heart’s left artery.

Jeff Cook was just 45 years old when he had a life-threatening heart attack.

“It’s the worst spot in your heart to have a blockage,” Mr Cook said.

“Even if you do make it to the hospital the mortality rate is fairly high.

“The paramedics didn’t think I was going to get through the night.”

15 people die every day of a heart attack in Queensland, but with a bit of luck Mr Cook beat the odds, much to the relief of his wife and children.

“When I realise I might not have been here with my family now I feel a sense of sadness, almost like grief,” he said.

“I had this life, and now everything is different, and I often wonder whether it’s going to happen again and whether I’ll die.

“It’s an emotional rollercoaster.”

The life-changing experience prompted Mr Cook to sign up for a cardiac rehabilitation service and undergo a series of lifestyle changes, taking him on a journey from a typical Aussie bloke who’d down a few schooners and a steak at the pub, to a conscientious eater and fitness-enthusiast.

It's been a long journey back to health but North Lakes man Jeff Cook says his quality of life is better than ever.

Within five months he dropped 25kg, stepped down from a stressful position at work, and found himself with a better quality of life than he’d had before the heart attack.

With the state election just two weeks away, Heart Foundation CEO Stephen Vines is calling on the major political parties to commit to making those heart rehab services more accessible to all Queenslanders, particularly those in at-risk areas such as the suburbs north of Brisbane.

“Increasing cardiac rehab options and improving access to programs statewide will give patients the best chance of recovering from a heart condition and avoiding going back to hospital,” Mr Vines said.

For residents of Brisbane’s north who find themselves at risk, or recovering, from heart disease, Mr Cook wants them to know there’s hope on the other side.

“When you’re coming out of a heart attack you realise your whole life is going to change, but it doesn’t have to change for the worse,” Mr Cook said.

“You can take it as an opportunity to improve and make life better for yourself.”