LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Louisville artist and educator is breathing new life into his work after collapsing and nearly dying one year ago.
In every aspect of life, Lance Newman has a way with words. The Louisville poet is quick on his feet, and so much so he’s well-versed at teaching and guiding budding artists during summer school.
“The things that I create I’m definitely more thoughtful or mindful about what impact or what will this say,” Newman told Spectrum News before leading a poetry writing class at Central High School.
His one voice has helped thousands find their own but a year ago, at only 36 years old, Newman’s life nearly ended during a game of pickup basketball.
“And then we started the basketball game. I went down I got a rebound and went right out,” Newman explained.
Newman stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating. CPR from a friend’s wife, who happened to be a Norton Healthcare nurse, saved his life.
“Gave me CPR and brought me back and what’s so serendipitous about it all is her name is Destinee,” Newman said.“Gave me CPR and brought me back and what’s so serendipitous about it all is her name is Destinee,” Newman said.
While in the hospital, Norton doctors informed Newman he needed a device to keep his heart in check, and he’d be the first Norton Healthcare patient to receive a new extravascular implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
“The battery pack is over here on the side of the body and not in the upper left chest and the wire then courses down over the ribs underneath the breastbone, staying out of the blood vessels and out of the heart itself,” Dr. Kevin Thomas told Spectrum News.
Dr. Thomas is a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist. Dr. Thomas implanted the state-of-the-art pacemaker, which unlike other devices, keeps blood vessels clear—an optimal alternative for young and active patients like Newman.
“Staying outside the blood vessel allows, number one, less restriction in activity for young patients. Number two, it allows to have preservation of their veins for use down the road in case were to need something like dialysis access, a chemotherapy port,” Dr. Thomas said.
The versatility of the device allowed Newman to get back on the court and back in classroom sooner than one may think. Newman’s brush with death hasn’t become his muse, but you can say he’s never been more present.
“I’ve been doing this for the past 10 years so, I have literally adults, like adults in their 20’s saying, ‘oh man, Mr. Lance I remember the rhyme game,’ I’m actually teaching. ‘You got me into writing.’”
Newman went on to say, “You know they say artists aren’t appreciated until they die, right? What if the artist knew that they were going to die? What would their art then mean?”
The poetry of it all is not lost on this poet.
