Community Corner
Near-Death Experience Yields 'Second Chance' For Blogger
Many Tarpon Springs Patch readers may know Denise Mannino from her sustainability blog, but have you heard the whole story?
A sudden aortic dissection led 60-year-old Denise Mannino to pursue her life and pursue it with more passion than she had ever imagined.
"Having that happen is usually a death sentence," Mannino said.
It was November a couple years back and Mannino remembered having a "weird, unmotivated feeling" during the day. At the dinner table that night, Mannino told her husband she didn't feel well.
"I started brushing my teeth and all of a sudden, it was like this boom!," Mannino said. "There was this ripping pain going across my chest."
Paramedics came to the Mannino's home, but they told her she was not having a heart attack. They told her it would be best if she went to the hospital to find out what was causing the pain.
After nearly an hour of testing, Mannino remembered being told "you need to have open heart surgery or you're going to die."
Doctors caring for Mannino performed the surgery that night and put her in medically induced coma for recovery purposes.
"After a while I just thought I was having the same bad dream over and over," Mannino said.
When she woke up from the coma, she realized what had happened and that it was real.
The full recovery was long, three months to be exact, and doctors were baffled at what caused the aortic dissection. After all, Mannino was physically fit from biking, practiced yoga regularly and followed a vegan diet.
Mannino said it was when she held her grandchild for the first time that she realized what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
"I remember holding Madeline at the hospital after she was born and thinking 'what is this world going to be like when you grow up?'" Mannino said.
Mannino and her husband, Jimmy Mannino, 65, started to scout homes in Florida. She said the year-round warm weather was the biggest draw.
After days of searching, the two spent their final night in Tarpon Springs. Mannino said they were sold immediately.
"I kept wondering why we hadn't been brought here in the first place," Mannino said.
One thing led to another and the Manninos found themselves purchasing a house in the heart of Tarpon Springs within weeks of their visit.
With their newly established corner lot, they wasted no time. Now, the two have a lush garden complete with everything from watermelons to catnip and fresh herbs.
Mannino wanted to connect to like-minded people after the move. She said it was difficult as a newcomer. So, she started a blog on Tarpon Springs Patch.
"The blog is really what made everything fall in to place," Mannino said.
She made connections almost immediately, helped organize local farmers markets and lent tips about sustainable living.
Mannino, along with her posse of sustainable partners, is responsible for getting the ordinance passed to raise backyard chickens in Tarpon Springs.
Her next goal is to make the city itself a green one. Mannino is in talks with the Board of Commissioners on how to make that happens.
For Mannino, it's not just about living in a sustainable city, but about living a sustainable life.
"I was given a second chance at life," Mannino said.
"Having that happen is usually a death sentence," Mannino said.
It was November a couple years back and Mannino remembered having a "weird, unmotivated feeling" during the day. At the dinner table that night, Mannino told her husband she didn't feel well.
"I started brushing my teeth and all of a sudden, it was like this boom!," Mannino said. "There was this ripping pain going across my chest."
Paramedics came to the Mannino's home, but they told her she was not having a heart attack. They told her it would be best if she went to the hospital to find out what was causing the pain.
After nearly an hour of testing, Mannino remembered being told "you need to have open heart surgery or you're going to die."
Doctors caring for Mannino performed the surgery that night and put her in medically induced coma for recovery purposes.
"After a while I just thought I was having the same bad dream over and over," Mannino said.
When she woke up from the coma, she realized what had happened and that it was real.
The full recovery was long, three months to be exact, and doctors were baffled at what caused the aortic dissection. After all, Mannino was physically fit from biking, practiced yoga regularly and followed a vegan diet.
Mannino said it was when she held her grandchild for the first time that she realized what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.
"I remember holding Madeline at the hospital after she was born and thinking 'what is this world going to be like when you grow up?'" Mannino said.
Mannino and her husband, Jimmy Mannino, 65, started to scout homes in Florida. She said the year-round warm weather was the biggest draw.
After days of searching, the two spent their final night in Tarpon Springs. Mannino said they were sold immediately.
"I kept wondering why we hadn't been brought here in the first place," Mannino said.
One thing led to another and the Manninos found themselves purchasing a house in the heart of Tarpon Springs within weeks of their visit.
With their newly established corner lot, they wasted no time. Now, the two have a lush garden complete with everything from watermelons to catnip and fresh herbs.
Mannino wanted to connect to like-minded people after the move. She said it was difficult as a newcomer. So, she started a blog on Tarpon Springs Patch.
"The blog is really what made everything fall in to place," Mannino said.
She made connections almost immediately, helped organize local farmers markets and lent tips about sustainable living.
Mannino, along with her posse of sustainable partners, is responsible for getting the ordinance passed to raise backyard chickens in Tarpon Springs.
Her next goal is to make the city itself a green one. Mannino is in talks with the Board of Commissioners on how to make that happens.
For Mannino, it's not just about living in a sustainable city, but about living a sustainable life.
"I was given a second chance at life," Mannino said.
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