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WEBVTT CLIP 1389, 55:28 "YOU JUST PUT YOUR FINGER HERE 55:29 BARRY MADEN IS A SELF-DESCRIBED TECH GEEK -- IT’S PART OF WHY HE WANTED TO BUY HIMSELF THIS APPLE WATCH -- BUT HE ALSO KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON HIS HEALTH AFTER SUFFERING FROM A BRAIN INJURY. CLIP 1388, 52:38 "HE ORIGINALLY GOT IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A NEW FALL RISK APP WHERE IF HE WERE TO FALL AND I’M NOT NEARBY." OC: 52:45 CLIP 1388, 52:49."THE FALL CENSOR WILL SENSE THAT HE FELL AND CALL 911." OC: 52:53 BUT IN THIS CASE -- IT ACTUALLY ENDED UP DETECTING SOMETHING THAT BARRY DIDN’T EVEN HAVE ON HIS RADAR. CLIP 1386, 45:46 "AND IT SAID IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR HEART IS IN AFIB, YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR." OC: 45:50 AFIB -- OR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION -- IS AN IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT, THAT IF LEFT UNTREATED OR IN BARRY’S CASE -- UNDETECTED COULD LEAD TO BLOOD CLOTS -- CAUSING A STROKE OR OTHER HEART COMPLICATIONS. THE WATCH SHOWING BARRY AND HIS WIFE TARA -- WHAT HIS ACTUAL HEART BEAT LOOKED LIKE -- HE FINALLY DECIDED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. CLIP 1386, 46:42 "WHEN I GOT TO THE ER, THEY DID AN ACTUAL EKG ON A CART, THE REAL DEAL." OC: 46:48." SURE ENOUGH -- THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TOLD BARRY THE SAME THING -- HE WAS IN A FIB... CLIP 1386, 48:47 "IT WOULD’VE PROBABLY TAKEN ME LONGER HAD I NOT HAD SOMETHING ACTUALLY TELLING ME THAT SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT." OC: 48:53 HE WAS SEDATED -- HIS HEART ESSENTIALLY STOPPED AND RESTARTED BY DOCTORS... NOW THIS SMALL PIECE OF TECHNOLOGY SUDDENLY SEEMS LIKE SO MUCH MORE TO THEM. CLIP 1386, 50:13 "INSTEAD OF JUST BEING A TOY OR A CHACHKI I THINK I’LL PROBABLY PAY CLOSER ATTENTION TO IT." OC: 50:20 CLIP 1388, 51:42 "JUST GRATEFUL, BLESSED." OC: 51:44 IN NASHUA CHERISE LECLERC WMUR NEWS9.

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What started as a fun tech gift around Christmas ended up helping detect a Nashua man's health issue.Barry Maden thought he was just experiencing anxiety around traveling for the holiday, but his new Apple Watch alerted him that it was something much more serious.The self-described "tech geek" said he bought the watch in part to keep a closer eye on his health after suffering a brain injury."He originally got it because they have a new fall risk app where, if he were to fall and I'm not nearby, the fall sensor will sense that he fell and call 911," said his wife, Tara Maden.But the new watch actually ended up detecting something that Maden didn't even have on his radar."And it said, 'It looks like your heart is in AFIB. You should contact your doctor," Maden said.Atrial fibrillation, or AFIB, is an irregular heartbeat. If left untreated or undetected, AFIB can lead to blood clots, causing a stroke or other heart complications.With the watch showing Maden what his actual heartbeat looked like, he decided to go to a hospital."When I got to the ER, they did an actual EKG on a cart -- the real deal," he said.Sure enough, medical professionals told Maden that he was, in fact, in AFIB."It would've probably taken me longer had I not had something actually telling me that something's not right," he said.Maden was sedated, and his heart was essentially stopped and restarted by doctos.Now, the small piece of technology seems like an even greater gift to the Madens."Instead of just being a toy or a tchotchke, I think I'll probably pay closer attention to it," Maden said.His wife said she feels grateful and blessed.