"She used to lie awake at night to watch over me and make sure nothing happened to me while I slept," he says. Now, both he and his wife know that if he has any problems with his heart in the night, the LifeVest System will wake them both.

Hardison's heart problems started when he suffered a heart attack in 1991. An angiogram revealed that he had three arteries which were over 90% blocked. He underwent triple bypass surgery. Since then, he has suffered two more heart attacks, has had four angioplasties, and had a stent implanted in his heart.

Fortunately, when Hardison was in Oklahoma City seeing a doctor about a shoulder problem, he noticed a sign about a heart research study. The study was for clinical trials of the LifeVest wearable defibrillator, and Hardison met all the criteria.

His heart had deteriorated to the point that over a third of his heart muscle was considered dead. He was at high risk for sudden cardiac arrest.

Hardison was fitted for a LifeVest. He thought it was a little bulky and strange at first, but now is completely comfortable with it. "I wear it 23 hours a day. My wife won't let me go anywhere without it on."

Hardison served in the Ardmore Fire Department for 20 years prior to taking a job as an R&D engineer, and is used to keeping active. Even today he continues to work as a consultant.

Although Hardison has never received a shock from the device, it often alerts him when his heart rate is erratic or too high. "It buzzes me when I overexert," he says, "and then I know I have to slow down. It has stopped me from doing things that could've given me a heart attack."

Hardison has been wearing the device for over two years now, and said he would have no problem in wearing it for the rest of his life.

Hardison says he has enjoyed wearing the LifeVest. Now he and his wife can go on regular trips to Padre Island where they take strolls along the beach together. He has two daughters, three granddaughters, five great-granddaughters and one great-grandson. For both himself and for the family that loves him, the LifeVest has provided something invaluable -- peace of mind.