Cody Cohen survived a ruptured aneurysm thanks to his quick-thinking wife, first responders and a team of doctors and nurses at North Shore University Hospital.

Cohen’s wife Garbiella Orbach, a nurse, was home on maternity leave when her husband became suddenly ill. She called paramedics to their Great Neck home. They arrived within minutes.

Cohen was in such dire shape that his entire blood volume had to be replaced twice. At one point during efforts to save Cohen’s life, Dr. Matthew Bank held his hand over the aneurysm to stop blood from gushing out. The doctor rested his hand there for two hours.

Cohen is sharing his story in order to encourage people to donate blood. He’s grateful that when he needed it, the hospital had blood at the ready. The brush with death made him keenly aware of how important it is to be a blood donor if possible.

Cohen, who was a new dad when his aneurysm ruptured, said he remembers thinking of his wife and son, praying, “Let me get through this.”

Within three months of the near-death ordeal, Cohen was back on the basketball court. He's made a full recovery.