16-year-old son of Bret Baier, Paul was rushed into emergency open-heart surgery, facing a life-threatening condition that seemed almost impossible to overcome.

Bret Baier’s Son Paul, 16, Grateful to Be Alive After Emergency Heart Surgery: “We Got Lucky”

“A lot can change in just five hours,” says 16-year-old Paul Baier, reflecting on a week that nearly cost him his life. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Paul — the son of Fox News anchor Bret Baier — shares a message of deep gratitude following his fifth open-heart surgery, an emergency procedure that came with no warning.

“I’m so grateful for the community I have — and to simply be alive,” Paul says. “It’s important to be thankful for everything you have, every second of every day.”

It all started with what seemed like a common cold.

While staying with his family in Palm Beach, Florida, Paul came down with mild symptoms. Out of caution, his mom, Amy Baier, took him to the doctor. At first, the diagnosis was routine: likely rhinovirus. But given Paul’s extensive history of congenital heart defects, the physician insisted on a chest X-ray.

That decision may have saved his life.

“Dr. Stein was incredibly thorough,” Amy recalls. “Before we left, she said, ‘Let’s just do a chest X-ray to be safe.’”

What the scan revealed was alarming. Initially suspected to be tissue on the lungs, the image was sent to Paul’s cardiologist in Washington, D.C. Within days, he was urged to return for further testing.

Bret Baier and his son flew to D.C., expecting a routine MRI. Instead, they received devastating news.

“The doctors sat us down and said, ‘This is serious. Really serious,’” Bret recalls. “There was an aneurysm — the size of a golf ball — near his heart. If it burst, it could have been fatal in minutes.”

Without hesitation, surgeons scheduled emergency open-heart surgery the very next morning.

For Paul, it was his fifth major heart operation — a journey that began shortly after birth, when he was diagnosed with five congenital heart defects. He had his first surgery as a newborn, followed by three more at 10 months, 6 years, and 13 years old.

“He’s a warrior,” says Bret. “But nothing prepares you for hearing that your child could be gone in an instant.”

Now recovering, Paul is focusing on gratitude — for life, for family, and for every quiet moment in between.

“We got lucky,” he says, his voice steady. “And I don’t take that for granted.”

The Baier Family’s Unshakable Strength: Inside Paul Baier’s Courageous Heart Surgery Journey

When Fox News anchor Bret Baier received the devastating news about his son’s life-threatening heart condition, he knew it would fall on him to break it to Paul, his resilient 16-year-old.

“He thought I was joking at first,” Bret, 53, tells PEOPLE. “But then he absorbed it and said, ‘Okay, let’s do what we need to do.’ That’s Paul — he’s always been a warrior. But this one was tough to absorb.”

In true Baier fashion, father and son made the most of their time together before the high-stakes surgery. After a long day of pre-op testing, they headed to the golf course — a familiar place of peace for varsity athlete Paul, who plays both golf and tennis. With quiet determination, he chipped in for birdie on the final hole to beat his dad.

That night, they shared a comforting dinner — the kind of small moment that feels monumental when you don’t know what tomorrow holds.

“As he rolled away on the gurney, it was pretty tough. Very emotional,” Bret admits. “Then came the waiting — about 10 hours. It was excruciating.”

Back home, Amy Baier stayed strong for both of their sons — Paul and 13-year-old Daniel — while quietly shouldering the fear only a mother can know.

But finally, the wait ended.

The surgery was a success. The dangerous aneurysm was removed, and doctors are optimistic that this will be Paul’s last open-heart surgery.

Just five days later, Paul was strong enough to leave the hospital. As he stood tall in the lobby of Children’s National Hospital, his dad captured a photo — one final moment in a place filled with both heartbreak and hope.

“We’ll never forget that photo,” Bret says. “It marks the end of one chapter — and the start of something even stronger.”

“Gratitude Is the Attitude”: Paul Baier’s Remarkable Recovery and the Wisdom of a 16-Year-Old Survivor

After his successful emergency heart surgery, Bret Baier shared a powerful photo on social media: a side-by-side of his son Paul today — standing tall after his fifth open-heart procedure — next to a picture of baby Paul, recovering from his very first one at just a few weeks old. Both photos were taken at Children’s National Hospital, 16 years apart — and both tell a story of courage, resilience, and hope.

Now recovering at home, Paul faces six weeks of light activity — daily walks, healthy meals, and plenty of rest — before he’s cleared to return to the sports he loves, like golf and tennis. But his journey has already left a lasting mark on those around him.

“You can never be too sure, especially with cardiac kids,” says Amy Baier, who trusted her instincts when something didn’t sit right — even though Paul only had a cold. “The more you check on things, the better. Paul didn’t even show any cardiac symptoms. We just got lucky.”

That “luck” — combined with expert doctors, a mother’s vigilance, and a father’s steady hand — is what saved Paul’s life.

Now, with quiet strength and clarity well beyond his years, Paul reflects on what the experience taught him:

“It’s important to be thankful for everything you have, every second of every day,” he tells PEOPLE. “Things can change fast. I’m just really grateful.”

His gratitude is contagious — even his parents say they’ve learned to see life through Paul’s lens.

“We have a saying in the Baier family,” Amy adds. “‘Gratitude is the attitude.’ And we learned that from Paul. When you focus on what you’re grateful for, it becomes easier to face what’s difficult.”