Warren Leary III Danced His Way Back From a Massive Heart Attack
Warren Leary III has always lived a full life.
Born at Fort Dix to a career Army officer and a mother from France, Warren grew up traveling the world, attending school overseas and learning early how to adapt. He served 19 months in Korea, rising quickly to the rank of E-5 sergeant. After the war, Warren went to college and built a career as a surveyor for an engineering firm and raised two sons, Warren IV and Evan, with his wife, Lisa. When Warren retired, he filled his days with his favorite activities: time with family, trips to the beach and dancing whenever he had the chance.
“Whenever there’s an occasion to get on the dance floor, I’m there,” Warren said.
One afternoon, the 77-year-old headed out to finish Christmas shopping. He had just received a clean bill of health at his annual physical and, in the week prior, he’d dressed up as Santa Claus for a Christmas party and danced with his wife at the celebration that followed.
As Warren began to shop, a fellow veteran stopped him. Warren didn’t look well. The veteran asked if he felt okay and Warren said he felt fine. The man was unconvinced and said, "Would you mind taking a knee for me?" That was Warren’s last memory for the next month.
Warren had suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to Virtua Mount Holly where he was taken straight to the cardiac catheterization lab. Doctors discovered three blocked arteries and began working to open the most critical one. During the procedure, Warren went into cardiac arrest and lost his heartbeat and pulse for more than 15 minutes.
After he was revived, he was transferred to Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, where he coded shortly after arrival and two more times that evening. At that point, the family was told Warren’s only chance for survival was ECMO life support, which takes over the function of the heart and the lungs, and the team at Lourdes would need to determine whether he was a candidate. Because it is aggressive, ECMO isn’t often approved for people over the age of 70.
A video Lisa’s niece shared of the couple dancing together at a holiday party just days before helped guide that decision Warren later learned. They watched them dance and said, “This guy has too much life left to live.”
From survival to strength at the critical illness recovery hospital
After weeks in the ICU, Warren transferred to Select Specialty Hospital - Willingboro a critical illness recovery hospital that is known for helping patients like Warren. He arrived dependent on a ventilator with a tracheostomy and feeding tube. He was weak and struggled with confusion and anxiety after heart surgery and a prolonged hospital stay.
Warren’s family held onto hope. They wanted more time with him. There was a lot to look forward to: they were excited for their Evan’s upcoming wedding. And Lisa knew how much Warren was looking forward to it.
The care team at Select Specialty Hospital focused on helping Warren regain the basics — the ability to breathe, speak, eat, think and movie independently.
Liberating Warren from the ventilator was a top priority. Respiratory therapists adjusted the ventilator to reduce the pressure and amount of oxygen delivered, which allowed Warren’s lungs to take over the breathing function, helping to build his lung capacity and strength.
Respiratory therapists also helped Warren speak by attaching a speaking valve to his tracheostomy tube. The valve redirected air over his vocal cords enabling him to vocalize. “I got a voice and could call my wife and talk to her,” he said. These talks helped to motivate him and keep him grounded when he felt anxious.
Lisa was on her way to visit when she got the first call. “My sister-in-law actually called,” Lisa said. “She was ecstatic and saying, ‘Warren can talk!’ And, he was on speaker and said, ‘Hey, baby.’ When I got there, there was a lot of tears.”
The speaking valve helped give Warren’s respiratory muscles the strength needed to work on their own. Seven days after arriving at Select Specialty Hospital, he was freed from his ventilator. By the next week, Warren’s tracheostomy was removed.
Speech therapy helped Warren safely return to eating, starting with small sips and bites and gradually reconditioning the muscles used for swallowing. He remained on the feeding tube to ensure adequate nutrition, but eating by mouth began to restore a sense of routine.
Physical therapy began to build Warren’s strength and mobility. What began as simple movements at the bedside — rolling side to side, moving his legs to the edge of the bed and using his arms to push himself upright — progressed as he built muscle and could stand with the support of a rolling walker. Gradually, Warren built strength and he progressed to walking with therapists to support him.
By the end of his 13-day stay at Select Specialty Hospital, Warren was walking 150 feet with a walker and could dress and take care of his personal needs like brushing his hair and teeth with little assistance.
“All the doctors that I saw told me that it's a miracle that you're alive, so I started to believe them,” Warren said. “I’m very thankful I was given a second chance.”
Finding his rhythm again in inpatient rehabilitation
After discharge from Select Specialty Hospital, Warren went to its sister hospital, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – Marlton, for inpatient rehabilitation. Here, the focus shifted from recovery and early rehabilitation to building on and refining the functional abilities he had regained at Select Specialty Hospital.
Though medically stable, the effects of Warren’s hospitalization lingered. He tired easily, required close blood pressure monitoring and faced the daily frustrations of rebuilding his stamina. He still had a feeding tube in his abdomen for supplemental nutrition, which was bothersome, but Warren was ready for new challenges.
Therapy sessions pushed him physically and mentally. He practiced walking without an assistive device, tested his balance by changing directions and pace and worked on coordination with activities that required focus and control. When appropriate, they also pushed him to walk longer distances, to safely boost his endurance — quietly, his confidence was also getting a boost.
Occupational therapy helped Warren relearn daily tasks — dressing, setting a table for a meal, making his bed — without becoming short of breath or becoming fatigued. Therapists showed Warren techniques for pacing and task organization techniques, along with exercises to improve reach and range of motion to support greater independence.
Throughout his rehabilitation, Warren’s zest for life never faded. He once surprised a therapist by breaking into dance mid-walk, a spontaneous reminder of the joy that had carried him through decades of life that now fueled his recovery.
In just 10 days, Warren was ready to discharge home. He was walking independently throughout the hospital without shortness of breath, chest pain or instability. He could take care of himself again, a remarkable transformation from relying on a machine to breathe just a month prior. He still had a feeding tube to support his nutritional needs, but was able to enjoy drinking and eating by mouth as well.
One step forward and two steps back
Warren’s homecoming was met with a celebration of family and neighbors. Little did he know that he had COVID-19. He’d been having random symptoms, but within three days Warren was really sick. Given his recent heart attack and lung failure, the diagnosis was frightening, but he was able to recover at home with close monitoring.
As Warren regained strength afterwards, things started to come together. He was finally able to get his feeding tube out and was feeling well. Warren focused on a milestone that had motivated him from the start: his son Evan’s wedding.
Just days before the celebration, sudden abdominal pain and nausea sent him to the ER for blood work and an ultrasound. What initially seemed like cholecystitis, inflammation requiring the removing of the gallbladder, threatened to derail those plans. However, Warren began to feel better and subsequent testing was normal. He would be able to attend the wedding after all.
“Warren danced, he had filet mignon, he had a glass of red wine and everybody was so emotional at the wedding because they knew our story,” said Lisa, adding: “And everybody was concerned too, like, ‘he's dancing too much, you’ve got to get him to sit down.’”
Of course, there was no way Warren was sitting this one out.
Moving forward
A week later, another gallbladder attack required hospitalization and ongoing treatment. Additional cardiac procedures to clear the remaining blockages are also planned, but Warren keeps moving forward — grateful for every step.
The experience has reshaped how Warren views life.
“It made me re-evaluate my life,” he said. “To be kinder, not be in a rush and not let the world go by just watching it.”
Warren is now moving forward with more gratitude for his family, for the care that saved his life and for the chance to keep dancing through whatever comes next.
Born at Fort Dix to a career Army officer and a mother from France, Warren grew up traveling the world, attending school overseas and learning early how to adapt. He served 19 months in Korea, rising quickly to the rank of E-5 sergeant. After the war, Warren went to college and built a career as a surveyor for an engineering firm and raised two sons, Warren IV and Evan, with his wife, Lisa. When Warren retired, he filled his days with his favorite activities: time with family, trips to the beach and dancing whenever he had the chance.
“Whenever there’s an occasion to get on the dance floor, I’m there,” Warren said.
One afternoon, the 77-year-old headed out to finish Christmas shopping. He had just received a clean bill of health at his annual physical and, in the week prior, he’d dressed up as Santa Claus for a Christmas party and danced with his wife at the celebration that followed.
As Warren began to shop, a fellow veteran stopped him. Warren didn’t look well. The veteran asked if he felt okay and Warren said he felt fine. The man was unconvinced and said, "Would you mind taking a knee for me?" That was Warren’s last memory for the next month.
Warren had suffered a massive heart attack and was rushed to Virtua Mount Holly where he was taken straight to the cardiac catheterization lab. Doctors discovered three blocked arteries and began working to open the most critical one. During the procedure, Warren went into cardiac arrest and lost his heartbeat and pulse for more than 15 minutes.
After he was revived, he was transferred to Lourdes Medical Center in Camden, where he coded shortly after arrival and two more times that evening. At that point, the family was told Warren’s only chance for survival was ECMO life support, which takes over the function of the heart and the lungs, and the team at Lourdes would need to determine whether he was a candidate. Because it is aggressive, ECMO isn’t often approved for people over the age of 70.
A video Lisa’s niece shared of the couple dancing together at a holiday party just days before helped guide that decision Warren later learned. They watched them dance and said, “This guy has too much life left to live.”
From survival to strength at the critical illness recovery hospital
After weeks in the ICU, Warren transferred to Select Specialty Hospital - Willingboro a critical illness recovery hospital that is known for helping patients like Warren. He arrived dependent on a ventilator with a tracheostomy and feeding tube. He was weak and struggled with confusion and anxiety after heart surgery and a prolonged hospital stay.
Warren’s family held onto hope. They wanted more time with him. There was a lot to look forward to: they were excited for their Evan’s upcoming wedding. And Lisa knew how much Warren was looking forward to it.
The care team at Select Specialty Hospital focused on helping Warren regain the basics — the ability to breathe, speak, eat, think and movie independently. Liberating Warren from the ventilator was a top priority. Respiratory therapists adjusted the ventilator to reduce the pressure and amount of oxygen delivered, which allowed Warren’s lungs to take over the breathing function, helping to build his lung capacity and strength.
Respiratory therapists also helped Warren speak by attaching a speaking valve to his tracheostomy tube. The valve redirected air over his vocal cords enabling him to vocalize. “I got a voice and could call my wife and talk to her,” he said. These talks helped to motivate him and keep him grounded when he felt anxious.
Lisa was on her way to visit when she got the first call. “My sister-in-law actually called,” Lisa said. “She was ecstatic and saying, ‘Warren can talk!’ And, he was on speaker and said, ‘Hey, baby.’ When I got there, there was a lot of tears.”
The speaking valve helped give Warren’s respiratory muscles the strength needed to work on their own. Seven days after arriving at Select Specialty Hospital, he was freed from his ventilator. By the next week, Warren’s tracheostomy was removed.
Speech therapy helped Warren safely return to eating, starting with small sips and bites and gradually reconditioning the muscles used for swallowing. He remained on the feeding tube to ensure adequate nutrition, but eating by mouth began to restore a sense of routine.
Physical therapy began to build Warren’s strength and mobility. What began as simple movements at the bedside — rolling side to side, moving his legs to the edge of the bed and using his arms to push himself upright — progressed as he built muscle and could stand with the support of a rolling walker. Gradually, Warren built strength and he progressed to walking with therapists to support him.
By the end of his 13-day stay at Select Specialty Hospital, Warren was walking 150 feet with a walker and could dress and take care of his personal needs like brushing his hair and teeth with little assistance.
“All the doctors that I saw told me that it's a miracle that you're alive, so I started to believe them,” Warren said. “I’m very thankful I was given a second chance.”
Finding his rhythm again in inpatient rehabilitation
After discharge from Select Specialty Hospital, Warren went to its sister hospital, Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation – Marlton, for inpatient rehabilitation. Here, the focus shifted from recovery and early rehabilitation to building on and refining the functional abilities he had regained at Select Specialty Hospital.
Though medically stable, the effects of Warren’s hospitalization lingered. He tired easily, required close blood pressure monitoring and faced the daily frustrations of rebuilding his stamina. He still had a feeding tube in his abdomen for supplemental nutrition, which was bothersome, but Warren was ready for new challenges.
Therapy sessions pushed him physically and mentally. He practiced walking without an assistive device, tested his balance by changing directions and pace and worked on coordination with activities that required focus and control. When appropriate, they also pushed him to walk longer distances, to safely boost his endurance — quietly, his confidence was also getting a boost.
Occupational therapy helped Warren relearn daily tasks — dressing, setting a table for a meal, making his bed — without becoming short of breath or becoming fatigued. Therapists showed Warren techniques for pacing and task organization techniques, along with exercises to improve reach and range of motion to support greater independence.
Throughout his rehabilitation, Warren’s zest for life never faded. He once surprised a therapist by breaking into dance mid-walk, a spontaneous reminder of the joy that had carried him through decades of life that now fueled his recovery.
In just 10 days, Warren was ready to discharge home. He was walking independently throughout the hospital without shortness of breath, chest pain or instability. He could take care of himself again, a remarkable transformation from relying on a machine to breathe just a month prior. He still had a feeding tube to support his nutritional needs, but was able to enjoy drinking and eating by mouth as well.
One step forward and two steps backWarren’s homecoming was met with a celebration of family and neighbors. Little did he know that he had COVID-19. He’d been having random symptoms, but within three days Warren was really sick. Given his recent heart attack and lung failure, the diagnosis was frightening, but he was able to recover at home with close monitoring.
As Warren regained strength afterwards, things started to come together. He was finally able to get his feeding tube out and was feeling well. Warren focused on a milestone that had motivated him from the start: his son Evan’s wedding.
Just days before the celebration, sudden abdominal pain and nausea sent him to the ER for blood work and an ultrasound. What initially seemed like cholecystitis, inflammation requiring the removing of the gallbladder, threatened to derail those plans. However, Warren began to feel better and subsequent testing was normal. He would be able to attend the wedding after all.
“Warren danced, he had filet mignon, he had a glass of red wine and everybody was so emotional at the wedding because they knew our story,” said Lisa, adding: “And everybody was concerned too, like, ‘he's dancing too much, you’ve got to get him to sit down.’”
Of course, there was no way Warren was sitting this one out.
Moving forward
A week later, another gallbladder attack required hospitalization and ongoing treatment. Additional cardiac procedures to clear the remaining blockages are also planned, but Warren keeps moving forward — grateful for every step.
The experience has reshaped how Warren views life.
“It made me re-evaluate my life,” he said. “To be kinder, not be in a rush and not let the world go by just watching it.”
Warren is now moving forward with more gratitude for his family, for the care that saved his life and for the chance to keep dancing through whatever comes next.