Award-Winning Filmmaker Ric Mathis Turns the Camera on a Life-or-Death Reality in HEARTBEAT Docuseries

A gripping first-person account of surviving a widowmaker heart attack, beginning at Piedmont Hospital and expanding into America’s silent heart disease crisis.

ATLANTA, GA, UNITED STATES, January 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Heartbeat Movietrailer

HEARTBEATDOCUSERIES.COM is a powerful and deeply personal docuseries chronicling the real-life journey of filmmaker and producer Ric Mathis, who narrowly survived a widowmaker heart attack—one of the most lethal cardiac events, with survival rates often

reported around 10%. In a rare, unfiltered move, Mathis pressed record the moment he walked into Piedmont Hospital an institution that has recently been in the national spotlight after Jamie Foxx publicly credited Piedmont with saving his life. He documents his experience in real time and transforming his near-death moment into a mission-driven storytelling project.

Blending intimate vérité footage, medical insight, and AI-created emotionally charged scenes and interviews, HEARTBEAT goes beyond one man’s survival story. It confronts the quiet, relentless reality of heart disease—often undetected until it becomes catastrophic—while spotlighting the resilience of those who fought their way back.

“I kept asking myself… was it plaque—or poison—when I thought I was in love, and my heart thought I was in danger?” — Ric Mathis

“HEARTBEAT isn’t just about what happened to me,” said Ric Mathis. “It’s about what’s happening to us—families blindsided, symptoms ignored, and lives changed in a moment.

A Story of Survival That Becomes a Larger Reckoning

At the heart of the series is Mathis’ own medical emergency and recovery—captured with raw immediacy—paired with survivor stories that broaden the scope and emotional impact of the project, including:
- Motivational Speaker Les Brown who’s currently living with 6 stents in his heart.
- A 34-year-old mother who nearly died after giving birth to her fourth child, revealing how quickly complications can escalate and how easily warning signs can be dismissed.
- Little Brianna, a 7-day-old baby who underwent open-heart surgery before she could even walk—an unforgettable reminder that heart disease and heart conditions are not confined to age, lifestyle, or expectation.

About HEARTBEAT

HEARTBEATDOCUSERIES.COM is a gripping documentary series that explores the lived realities behind a condition that continues to devastate families—often without warning. Through compelling storytelling and human-centered interviews, the series examines survival, recovery, and the urgent need for greater awareness and proactive care.

About Ric Mathis

Ric Mathis is an award-winning filmmaker and producer known for impactful, culturally resonant storytelling. In HEARTBEAT, he turns his craft inward—using his own near-death experience to spark conversations that can save lives.