Twelve years after Jamie Clark (O35) had to rush her then 17-day-old son Caiden to the hospital, the memories are vivid.

Clark was trying to feed the newborn when she noticed he was making a gurgling sound. She burped him, and the sound stopped. But later, the sound was back and wouldn’t go away. It was accompanied by other symptoms like a cold, clammy and limp body and lips that were turning blue.

“At that point, we knew something was going on,” Clark said.

She and her husband turned to a neighbor – an emergency medical technician – who checked the baby’s vitals and advised them to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

“By the time we got to Riverside, his body was so cold they couldn’t register a temperature and he was just a limp noodle,” Clark said. “It was the scariest thing my husband and I have ever experienced.”

After a few hours, Caiden was stabilized and transferred to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD). That’s where Clark learned her son’s shocking diagnosis: a major heart attack.

“He had zero heart defects. They’re not sure what caused it, a virus or blood clot. They still don’t know to this very day what it was,” Clark said. “He’s considered a case study at CHKD Cardiology.”

Caiden spent two months in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and was even on life support. Two strokes at the ages of 2 and 4 were additional setbacks. However, at 12, he is healthy and even able to play sports. Last month, a cardiologist gave him the “all clear” to resume activities with absolutely no restrictions.

But there are lingering impacts. Doctors suspect a lack of oxygen caused damage to Caiden’s brain that could lead to ADHD or learning disabilities. “He’s had a very hard time in school, but we have not let that stop him or stop us from getting him the help he needs,” Clark said. “We have seen him overcome so many obstacles. I truly think that there is a purpose. He’s going to do big things.”

Her son’s story is one reason Clark – a shipbuilder for five years – signed up to participate in the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, which raises funds to save lives from heart disease and stroke. Newport News Shipbuilding is a sponsor of the Hampton Roads Heart Walk.

“Why not participate when I’m surrounded by heart issues?” said Clark – whose father and uncle have also had heart attacks. “We don’t know when it could happen to us. My son was only 17 days old. He didn’t have unhealthy things we may eat that would cause one of us to have a heart attack. It really could happen to anyone. Our family stays on “alert” so to speak because of Caiden’s heart issues as well as it running in our family.”

She encourages other shipbuilders to participate in the Heart Walk and come out to the Peninsula walk at Fort Monroe on Nov. 4 or the Southside walk at Chesapeake City Park on Nov. 11. To sign up, visit the Heart Walk website. All participants will receive a T-shirt.

Clark plans to attend the Southside walk with her survivor son, who plans to wear a Superman shirt.

“Everybody knows someone who has a heart or stroke story,” she said. “I think it’s important for us to support and encourage one another. I know that with every step I am saving lives like Caiden’s and many others.”