Patrick Charnley, a man from the UK, experienced a harrowing brush with death, clinically dying before making an astonishing recovery.
Once a high-flying corporate lawyer, Charnley regarded leisure time as “wasted time,” relentlessly pushing himself in pursuit of success. However, the relentless grind of long working hours during the 2021 pandemic took a severe toll. This incredibly fit father of two suffered a cardiac arrest at the age of 39.
A cardiac arrest is a critical medical emergency where the heart abruptly ceases to beat, halting blood flow to the brain and other vital organs.
The life-altering event began on an ordinary evening. Patrick was enjoying sausages and chips on his sofa when he suddenly collapsed. Triggered by a hereditary factor, his heart stopped, and he was pronounced clinically dead for 40 minutes. His wife immediately initiated CPR while their children, then aged seven and nine, bravely ran for help.
Paramedics arrived and attempts at defibrillation initially failed. As his life teetered on the brink, medical staff administered an adrenaline shot “as a last resort,” Patrick recounted. “They shocked me and shocked me,” he said, as his wife began to fear he had already passed away.
Against all odds, after numerous desperate efforts, his heart miraculously started beating again.
Patrick awoke from a week-long coma as a fundamentally changed person. He had sustained a debilitating brain injury, impacting his vision, memory, and physical stamina. While no longer able to work or live life as he once did, Patrick discovered that this profound shift allowed him to savor every moment and deepen his connections with loved ones.
During an appearance on the “Ready to Talk” podcast with Emma Barnett, Patrick candidly shared his transformed outlook on life. He declared he “wouldn’t change his current condition,” even if offered the chance to revert to his former life.
‘I woke up blind’
Yet, his journey to accepting this new reality was profoundly traumatic. “I woke up blind,” Patrick recalled, describing his first conscious memory after emerging from the coma. “I was having these things, but I wasn’t really connected to them.”
The loss of his sight, he explained, triggered incredibly vivid hallucinations. This phenomenon, known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome, is the brain’s way of “filling in” the sudden absence of visual data.
Patrick described some of his hallucinations as “frightening,” while others were “incredible,” possessing a strange beauty.
He recounted one particularly terrifying hallucination: after undergoing open-heart surgery, he became convinced that an American nurse was attempting to kill him.
However, these hallucinations also, at times, provided immense comfort. One experience transported him to a serene sanatorium in the Alps, where he gazed at snow-capped mountains while nurses chatted in the next room. This vision imbued him with a “deeply peaceful” sense of security.
As his vision gradually returned, doctors identified that Patrick’s sight issues were directly linked to his brain injury. To this day, his vision remains partially impaired, which he describes as “looking through a telescope.”
Initial cognitive tests revealed significant challenges, placing Patrick in the bottom 2% for memory and information processing speed. While he has made remarkable progress since then, he occasionally still struggles to recall recently acquired information. However, the full extent of his injuries truly became apparent only after he returned home.
‘I live a richer life’
Severe fatigue now mandates that Patrick meticulously manage his energy levels. “I never, ever, ever wake up fresh. I wake up tired every day, and it gets worse as the day goes on,” he revealed.
Furthermore, he contended with a profound mental adjustment. Following his initial recovery, Patrick found himself “not caring about anything.” This wasn’t true depression, but rather a condition known as pathological apathy, which Patrick described as “floating across time” without solid ground.
Therapy and medication have since helped rekindle his motivation. A psychologist also encouraged him to let go of his lost former life. Despite these efforts, Patrick admitted he yearns for spontaneity in life. He misses blending in with his peers, “participating in society” as he once did, and actively playing with his children.
Patrick also feels a sense of regret towards his wife, whom he believes has become the recipient of his memory burdens. “The reality is she absolutely became my carer,” he acknowledged. “I live life as if I am very, very old.”
Despite these profound alterations, Patrick states that, in many ways, he prefers his current life. He has transitioned to a new career as a writer and now enjoys significantly more time to simply live and appreciate moments.
“I now live life slowly, not by choice, but by necessity. However, I deeply appreciate that. I’m far more able to see beauty in things than I ever was before… I feel like I’m living a much richer existence at a slower pace,” he reflected. “My perspective has fundamentally shifted. I’m grateful to be alive,” Patrick affirmed.
His relationships with his family have also blossomed in positive ways. Patrick now shares laughter with them over the unique aspects of his condition. “I think our relationship is stronger than it’s ever been, really… we’re much more bonded because of what happened,” he shared.
“The most important thing for me is my family, but now I’m able to give so much more of myself to them. Before, I was just living on the surface,” Patrick said.
Patrick’s unique situation has allowed him to break free from the exhausting treadmill of his former professional life. “So many people feel like that… too busy to truly live. I wouldn’t change what has happened to my life.”
“Even with all these limitations, I love my life now. I love being at home when my kids come home from school. I love not having to rush from one thing to another.”