A 12-year-old Mechanicville boy is recovering after his heart stopped just as he crossed the finish line of a cross-country race in Malta, a collapse that led to open-heart surgery and a diagnosis doctors say he was likely born with. Vincent Farnell, a seventh grader who joined his school's cross-country team at the start of the year, is now hoping to return to school after Thanksgiving and to sports, including the karate he has trained in for five years, by March.
According to WNYT, Farnell experienced cardiac arrest as he crossed the finish line at the meet in Malta's Luther Forest. The station's later report says Farnell ran a 2K race in Malta on October 6, a Tuesday, and collapsed at the finish line, while an earlier WNYT account quoting the family placed the cardiac event on October 7, 2026. Farnell told the station he does not remember starting the race or reaching the finish line before he collapsed, though he recalled becoming exhausted while running, stopping, breathing hard, and experiencing static-like vision.
Nurses and Paramedics Respond in Seconds
Two nurses at the finish line started CPR, and paramedics with Malta EMS used an AED after Farnell's heart stopped, the station's report notes. Farnell was taken to Saratoga Hospital before being transferred to Albany Med, where doctors found that the 12-year-old had a congenital heart defect.
Farnell's mother, Carolanne Farnell, was driving to the meet when she got the call that her son was being taken to the hospital. She and her family ended up directly behind the ambulance after missing it as it left Luther Forest, the report states, and she has described trying to stay composed while watching her son receive emergency care.
A Diagnosis Doctors Say He Was Born With
Doctors at Albany Med diagnosed Farnell with what the station's report describes as anomalous left coronary, explained as the left valve being on the right side of the heart instead of the left. Days after the event, Farnell underwent open-heart surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital to reposition the valve.
The diagnosis falls under a category of congenital coronary anomalies that researchers have studied in young patients more broadly. A study published by the American Heart Association's journal on anomalous aortic origin of the left coronary artery enrolled 56 patients younger than 21, with a median age of 12, and found that seven of them, or 13 percent, had presented with aborted sudden cardiac death. Of the 25 patients in that study who underwent surgery, researchers reported all were asymptomatic and free from exercise restrictions at a median follow-up of four years, according to the study. That research involves a separate patient population and does not predict any individual outcome, including Farnell's.
Expecting a Full Recovery, Counting Down to Sports
Farnell is expected to make a full recovery, and he told the station he feels mostly normal now, though he still experiences discomfort when coughing or sneezing while his incision heals. He hopes to return to school after Thanksgiving and get back to sports by March, with karate topping his list — he said he wants to return directly to the discipline he has trained in for about five years.
Outside of recovery, Farnell told the station he is a big plushy fan who loves anime and Pokemon. He said he appreciates that people care about and support him, a sentiment reflected in the outpouring from his community.
Community Rallies Around Recovering Classmate
Farnell and his family have received support from friends, classmates and the broader community, per the station's report. That has included cards from classmates, money raised at a fundraiser at The End Zone in Mechanicville, and his cross-country teammates dyeing their hair red to match his. Farnell also showed a framed certificate signed by friends in karate, members of the adult class, senseis and staff.
