An afternoon coaching on the softball field nearly turned deadly for an Ocean County man who had a widowmaker heart attack.

The Barnegat Township survivor and his doctor were both on hand Tuesday to help welcome a new cardiac suite opening soon at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.

“The first thing I remember when I woke up, I was at the intensive care unit here at Jersey Shore about 14 days later,” said survivor John Donza.

Two years ago, the then-69-year-old's final life chapter was nearly written on a softball field at Brick Memorial High School. Today, he’s able to admire the technological advances inside the new catheterization lab.

“It’s amazing I’m standing here,” he said.

“We are excited that guys like John are going to have an even better chance going forward,” said Dr. Renato Apolito, director of the cardiac catheterization lab at JSUMC.

Dr. Apolito helped revive Donza multiple times during those critical moments following the usually fatal heart attack and will call this lab his lifesaving office once it opens.

“I think with this facility we would have had the capacity to move him quicker and fast forward two years later we are so much more facile with the techniques,” said Apolito.

In all, 10 labs, multiple recovery areas and the latest in imaging and procedures will complement the new cardio department.

“There’s no reason why New Jerseyans have to travel great distances to get quality care,” said Bob Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health.

“My daughter just got married two weeks ago. My younger one is getting married in July, so I'm wondering if that’s the reason why I was allowed to come back,” said Donza.

The $45-million cardiac suite in the Northwest Pavilion will begin taking patients starting on Dec. 29.