Why I love Providence…

It all started in August of 2004 when I started experiencing discomfort and pain in my chest. I went through several tests with my family doctor, with no results. The pain and frequency increased and he said the only sure way to find the problem was by having an angiogram. It was scheduled for Monday morning, so Sunday night, my doctor called to let me know I was first on the list and to get there early as the schedule was full. Soon after beginning, the doctor said the first artery was 99% blocked and the second was 95% blocked. The third could not be stinted due to the location. My doctor leaned in close and said “you are a walking dead man. I can’t believe you even walked in here today”. He scheduled me for surgery later that day. Open heart surgery was not on my agenda. I had planned to be at work the next day. In 40 years, I had only missed one day of work. Instead, I was kept sedated and at 6:00 pm, I went into surgery. My recovery was 5 days in the hospital. I experienced first hand the loving and compassionate care of the doctors and nurses, from the ICU, to the Step-down unit to my regular room. I still remember their names and luckily many of them are still with Providence today. It changed my whole outlook on life. I realized I was living on “borrowed time” so began to live life with a sense of urgency. I also felt called by God to give back – both financially as well as with my time. Kent Keahey put me to work with the Providence Foundation and I have been blessed to work with a smart, caring and compassionate leadership team ever since . . . Team Providence!