"Heart Star' determined to live life on his terms

Alex Cadice shows real heart

February 7, 2011 at 5:30 a.m. | Updated February 7, 2011 at 5:30 a.m.

Alex Cadice is shown at a glacier. He said activities such as scuba diving in the Great Barrier reef and in Australia were some of the most rewarding events of his life so far. Cadice is asking community members to support the American Heart Association this year during heart month and throughout the year.
Alex Cadice is shown at a glacier. He said activities such as scuba diving in the Great Barrier reef and in Australia were some of the most rewarding events of his life so far. Cadice is asking community members to support the American Heart Association this year during heart month and throughout the year.

A friendly game of basketball at the Rec Center was nothing new to Alex Cadice. However, the game he played on Nov. 18, 2008, would change his life.

During the game, the Jefferson City native chased a loose ball, and that is when he said he felt "a surging pain pulse through my body."

Later that night, his symptoms worsened and included being pale, having chest pain, dizziness and shortness of breath. After telling his roommate to dial 911, Cadice found himself being rushed to a nearby hospital where he was told he was having something "like a heart attack."

He was later diagnosed and then diagnosed again until reaching a determination that he has ARVC, a genetic heart condition that deals with the electrical makeup and function of the heart.

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