Marlo Purnell
I had pain in my collarbone and a very heavy feeling in my chest like nothing I have ever felt before. I went to the local ER and found out that I had a heart attack at only 50 years of age! I was transferred to a different hospital, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s (it was a […]
Read Story
Victoria Weibel
I was driving with my husband when I had a fatal heart attack. He grabbed the wheel and was able to bring us to a stop. A lady on scene performed CPR and brought me back. Paramedics then took me to Prairie Heart Institute. That was the luckiest day of my life. Dr. Jeff Christy […]
Read Story
Bobby Dokey
Arrhythmia, Atrial Fibrillation
New job jitters are normal. But imagine starting a new job with a new pacemaker – the first in the United States and second worldwide to be implanted using investigational technology to treat dangerously fast heart rhythms. That’s how Bobby Dokey started his role in disaster planning and emergency management at HSHS St. John’s Hospital […]
Read Story
Steve Pace
When Steve Pace collapsed on the floor, his wife Carmen dialed 9-1-1 and immediately began chest compressions. She wasn’t certain she was using the proper technique, but doctors, nurses and first responders agree that her quick action saved Steve’s life, keeping him alive until the ambulance arrived. Inspired by the story of Carmen’s quick thinking, […]
Read Story
Jim Healy
Cardiac Arrest, Cardiac Catheterization, Coronary Stent
Jim Healy doesn’t remember much from his collapse at FitClub, but his wife remembers getting the news. “I got a phone call from the FitClub saying that he had collapsed, that his heart had stopped. It was going by then, but that’s not news you ever want to hear,” Coreen Healy said. Jim had 99% […]
Read Story
JoAnne Neathery
CABG, Cardiac Catheterization, Open Heart
I was in Florida walking the beach, and that evening I started feeling chest discomfort. Before that, I was experiencing fatigue and not feeling well, especially when I was exerting myself. I’d have to sit down, and then it would go away. Back home, my primary care doctor suggested I see a cardiologist. I went […]
Read Story
Blake Cowle-Healy
The last thing I remember is the end of the race. Right after I crossed the finish line, I went into full cardiac arrest. I actually heard myself hit the ground. The EMS teams and HSHS St. John’s colleagues that were at the finish line started CPR and helped to save my life. I don’t […]
Read Story
Terry Hart
Cardiac Catheterization, Chest Pain
I was at work one afternoon and felt a heaviness in my chest. I went into the clubhouse and my friend called 911. The paramedics were able to send my EKG directly to the team at Prairie Heart. I went straight to the cath lab and didn’t need to stop in the emergency room. They […]
Read Story
Melissa Williams
I wanted to take a moment and say THANK YOU to the TAVR team!!! They were outstanding on so many levels! It all started in April of 2013. My sweet father-in-law, Billy V. Williams, was having fainting spells and was later told it was related to his heart. After a multitude of testing, decisions had […]
Read Story
Theresa Thompson, RN, BSN
CABG, Cardiac Catheterization, Chest Pain
I lost my dad on Feb. 4, 2017, just 5 days shy of his 89th birthday. As a child I always saw my dad as invincible. He was my protector, my life coach, my hero!! As an adult, I realized he may not always be around but I knew as long as he walked this […]
Read Story
Gail Wolfe
CABG, Cardiac Catheterization, Chest Pain, Coronary Stent
I had my first heart attack at age 35 on Labor Day of 1978. I was taken to Decatur Memorial Hospital with very bad chest pain, but eventually sent to St. John’s in Springfield. Dr. Dove became my cardiologist at that time. He found several blockages and put in two stents. At the time, Dr. […]
Read Story
Steve Larson
Cardiac Catheterization, Chest Pain, Coronary Stent
After losing my wife and best friend, Paula of 34 years to pancreatic cancer, I continued my lifestyle as an avid runner. Running was the one thing that helped me find some needed relief from my grief. I started experiencing chest pain as I ran. It stopped me. I chalked the chest pain up to […]
Read Story
Chuck Heminghous
Atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) is an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. At least 2.7 million Americans are living with AFib.
Read Story
Wayne Coventry
For several months, my blood pressure was running high and I was having some irregular heartbeats. I knew right away that I wanted to see a Prairie Cardiologist and Dr. Holly Novak was recommended to me.
Read Story
Kay Morris
Aortic Valve Replacement, CABG, Open Heart
"I’ve been a nurse for over 40 years and I always knew what to look for when it came to heart disease. I have always been very active. I love tennis and play almost daily. The only symptom I had was shortness of breath."
Read Story
Gretchen Peters-Hantel
Double artificial valves replaced by TAVR
The procedure, known as a double transcatheter valve replacement, was believed to be only the fourth of its kind in the United States and the first of its kind in the world to use the latest generation of artificial valves.
Read StoryHow have the doctors of Prairie helped you?
Cardiovascular conditions affect more Americans than any other disease in the United States. It takes bravery to fight heart disease, and having a community of support makes a world of difference.