Kyle Hewlett is the inspiration behind Kyle’s Strong Heart Foundation. At just 24, Kyle survived sudden cardiac arrest—an experience that changed his life and sparked our mission. With courage, hope, and the support of loved ones, Kyle’s story reminds us that every heartbeat matters. Through his journey, we’re committed to raising CPR awareness and building a community of lifesavers.
CPR Kits Placed in Schools
During Heart Month and Black History Month, we shared our story of survival, faith, and purpose — and why CPR saves lives.
Kyle the Heart Hero” is a children’s book for ages 5-9 that tells the inspiring true story of Kyle, a young boy who survived cardiac arrest and transformed his experience into a mission to help others. The book follows Kyle’s journey from his medical emergency—where doctors performed CPR for 90 minutes to save his life—through his recovery and eventual transformation into a “Heart Hero” who visits schools to teach CPR awareness.
The story teaches children about recognizing emergencies, calling 911, and the importance of CPR in an age-appropriate way. Kyle challenges young readers to become Heart Heroes themselves through his “Heart Hero Challenge,” emphasizing that “heroes don’t always wear capes—sometimes they just know what to do.” The book includes fun heart facts and ends with Kyle’s personal message about how he’s alive because someone knew CPR, inspiring kids to learn lifesaving skills too.
It’s both an educational tool and an empowering story that shows children they can make a real difference in saving lives.
Kyle survived a cardiac arrest at just 24 years old on July 9, 2023. The cause was believed to be myocarditis from a virus after he had a mild cold. His heart stopped beating, and doctors and nurses performed CPR for 90 minutes to save his life – and they succeeded!
Kyle is a cardiac arrest survivor who transformed his traumatic experience into a powerful mission to help others by co-founding Kyle’s Strong Heart Foundation alongside his mother Gina. As a Heart Hero, he visits schools and communities to teach CPR awareness and advocates for ensuring more people learn CPR so they can save lives when it matters most.
Our mission is to create a community of lifesavers by providing resources for CPR training and education. By empowering individuals with the knowledge and skills to perform CPR and use AEDs, we can significantly improve survival rates for cardiac arrest victims.
Kyle, then 24 years old, wasn’t feeling well after a mild cold and went home from his juice bar, Triple Double Juice Co, in East Orange, NJ. When he couldn’t explain what was wrong—just feeling “weird” with slight chest discomfort—his mother Gina took him to Holy Name Hospital’s emergency department.
Initially diagnosed with myocarditis (heart inflammation) likely caused by a virus, Kyle’s condition worsened over two days. On the evening of Tuesday, July 11, 2023, he developed atrial fibrillation, and just as Dr. Angeli rushed to his room, Kyle went into full cardiac arrest.
The medical team performed CPR for 90 straight minutes, taking turns and using a defibrillator six times. When traditional methods didn’t work, they implanted an Impella CP heart pump to bypass his heart to allow it to rest. Kyle remembers the first three defibrillator shocks as “the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced,” then nothing after that.
The team’s persistence paid off—Kyle’s heart started beating again, and after four weeks in the hospital, he made a full recovery with no deficits. This life-changing experience became the foundation for Kyle’s Strong Heart Foundation’s mission to teach the importance of CPR and how it does save lives.
July 11, 2023, my life changed forever when I went into cardiac arrest at 24 years old. What started as feeling ‘weird’ after a cold turned into 90 minutes of CPR that saved my life. The doctors and nurses at Holy Name Hospital didn’t give up on me, and neither did my family.
I’m still finding my voice and learning how to share my story, but I know why I’m here. I survived because someone knew CPR. Now, my mom Gina and I have created Kyle’s Strong Heart Foundation to make sure more people have that same chance I had.
Every time I visit a school or attend a foundation event, I see faces that remind me why this matters. Kids who light up when they learn they can be heroes too. Parents who realize they have the power to save a life. Communities coming together to learn something that could change everything.
I may not be the loudest voice in the room yet, but I’m getting stronger every day. And with my dog Dash by my side and this amazing foundation growing, I know we’re turning our pain into purpose—one heart, one person, one community at a time.
You don’t need a cape to be a hero. You just need to care enough to learn CPR.”
Recovery isn’t just about your body healing—it’s about finding pieces of yourself you didn’t know existed. After spending four weeks in the hospital and months rebuilding my physical strength, I realized the hardest part wasn’t the medical journey. It was finding my voice again.
At first, I wasn’t sure I had anything meaningful to say. How do you put into words what it feels like to have your heart stop beating? How do you explain the gratitude you feel toward strangers who refused to give up on you? For a while, I stayed quiet, processing everything that had happened.
But slowly, something began to shift. Every time I thought about those 90 minutes of CPR, I didn’t just think about my survival—I thought about all the people who don’t get that chance. I started to understand that my strength wasn’t just in surviving; it was in what I could do with that survival.
My first school visit was terrifying. Standing in front of a classroom full of kids, sharing something so personal and scary—I wasn’t sure I could do it. But when I saw their faces light up as they learned they could be heroes too, I found something I didn’t know I was looking for: purpose.
Now, my mom Gina supporting every step, I’m learning that strength isn’t about being fearless. It’s about showing up anyway. It’s about turning the worst day of your life into the reason you help save someone else’s best day.
I’m still finding my voice, still growing into this role as a Heart advocate. But every event I attend, every story I share, every person who learns CPR because of our foundation—that’s where my real strength lives.”
Today, Kyle is a 26-year-old Heart advocate who has transformed his survival story into a powerful mission to help save as many lives as possible. Nearly two years after his cardiac arrest on July11, 2023, Kyle has evolved from a quiet survivor into a passionate advocate who visits schools and communities to spread CPR awareness.
You’ll often find Kyle at foundation events and school presentations, gradually finding his voice as he shares his story with audiences of all ages. While public speaking was once daunting, he’s discovered that his authentic message resonates deeply—especially with children who see him as a real-life superhero without a cape.
When he’s not advocating for CPR education, Kyle enjoys the simple pleasures of life with his family, friends and girlfriend Jada. Kyle loves cars, working out, his dog Dash but what he loves most is helping people discover they have the power to save lives.
As co-founder of Kyle’s Strong Heart Foundation alongside his mother Gina, Kyle has helped place 600 CPR kits into Hackensack High School donated by the American Heart Association and inspired the creation of a children’s books ‘Kyle the Heart Hero.’ His story has been featured across local media, including ABC, NBC, CBS, NorthJersey.com and even a billboard on Route 4 in Hackensack!
Kyle often says, ‘I’m here today because someone knew CPR and didn’t give up.’ Now, he’s dedicated to ensuring that more people have that same lifesaving knowledge. He’s living proof that heroes don’t always wear capes—sometimes they just know what to do and care enough to act.
