Ashland, Virginia is affectionately known as the “Center of the Universe.” It is where I live with Alice, my wife of 57 years, our children, and grandchildren. So, for me, Ashland is definitely the center of my universe.
I’ve had a long and concerning medical history filled with close calls and missed diagnoses. At 49, I suffered a major heart attack, coding three times before reaching the local hospital. More recently, my heart fell out of rhythm and into A-Fib, requiring a pacemaker. Three ablations later, as the A-Fib remained. I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, leaving me physically weak and short of breath.
I was discouraged that my health and quality of life declined so rapidly, leaving me physically unable to help Alice with responsibilities around the farm. I was advised, without drastic improvement to my cardiac health, I wouldn’t be around much longer. Believing I had no other options, I began to get my affairs in order.
My universe was altered when a friend referred me
to Deborah Heart and Lung Center. I reached out to
Deborah and was introduced to Kulpreet Barn, MD
and his advanced heart failure team, who promptly
scheduled me for an evaluation. The following week,
my son Matt and I made the six-hour drive from
Ashland to New Jersey.
During my five-day stay, Dr. Barn’s team coordinated
a series of tests and procedures. They installed
two mitral clips to repair a leaky valve, performed a
successful ablation finally correcting my A-Fib, and
adjusted my medications. Back home, under the
advisement of Dr. Barn, the Watchman device was
installed further limiting my risk of blood clots and
need for certain blood thinners.
To this day Dr. Bar remains in frequent contact with
my cardiologist in Virginia, who is astonished with my
improved heart function and what Deborah was able
to do for me. I am now healthy, actively working full days on the farm, and most importantly, I am still here for Alice and my family. No matter where you live you owe it to yourself and those you love to find the best medical care available…you are worth it. The cost of the high-level specialized care I received could have financially devastated my family. But thanks to Deborah Hospital Foundation, there is no out-of-pocket expense for any care I received within the hospital. That’s the Deborah way. Ive been around long enough to know I owe a debt of gratitude to all those donors that invested their philanthropic dollars in Deborah long before I benefited from its life-saving care. Although my life is here at the “Center of the Universe”. my heart will always be with Deborah. Wayne Overton | Grateful patient and donor
