Erik Conde, the Hallandale Beach firefighter lovingly known as "Hulk," is finally home after a serious illness almost took his life. He's a little skinnier but he's relieved.
"I was so grateful to be on my way home and to sleep in my own bed last night," Conde said.
His wife Rachel added: "It's amazing to have him home. I feel like I can breathe."
Friends and family were used to seeing Conde lifting weights and working to save lives as a first responder, but that all changed on Dec. 28 when he collapsed at his fire station and suffered cardiac arrest.
"I was brushing. I kind of hunched over onto the sink. Something wasn't right," Conde said.
His colleague sprang into action and rushed him to the hospital. Doctors said had he not been given immediate care Conde might not have survived. For weeks, he was treated at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center.