Drew Barrymore Surprises Heart Attack Survivor With Paramedics Who Saved His Life On ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’: “I Just Cannot Thank You Enough”

Drew Barrymore had a sweet surprise in store for a New York firefighter and heart attack survivor on this morning’s episode of The Drew Barrymore Show.

One day after Marc Anderson battled a fire, he was rushed to the hospital for a heart attack. His symptoms first started at the firehouse, where he was “hit in the chest with a terrible pain” that he described as a “pizza-sized … area of very intense pressure.” But after some stretches, Anderson said the pain went away.

“I’m having a panic attack listening,” Barrymore chimed in. “Keep going.”

Anderson recalled waking up the next night “feeling uncomfortable.” He said he was “hit with the same pain,” but this time it didn’t go away, prompting his girlfriend (who is a radiologic technician in a hospital) to take his blood pressure and give him Aspirin. Despite his blood pressure being fine, he still felt “pain and pressure” — and that’s when they called 911.

“[The paramedic] put me on an EKG,” Anderson said. “As soon as the printout came out he said, ‘This is no good. You’re having a heart attack. Let’s go.’ [We] took off to the hospital.”

Barrymore pointed out that the EMTs “saved [his] life,” before asking what would’ve happened if they hadn’t arrived so quickly.

“I don’t know. But I probably wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now,” Anderson said, before praising the paramedics. “Although I was terrified, I never felt like this is it — this might be my last moment. I never felt that panic. I felt like I was in really good hands. I felt like they got me.”

The talk show host then asked Anderson to send a video message to the paramedics who escorted him to the hospital — but before he could start, she surprised him by inviting them out on stage.

“I just cannot thank you enough for saving his life,” Barrymore told the two men. “What amazes me is that you guys literally could be the difference between life and death and then you drift apart then you guys don’t get to come back together the same way. So we wanted to be that full circle for you and say thank you for everything you do.”

The Drew Barrymore Show airs on weekdays on CBS. You can check the website for local airtimes.