January 14, 2021
84-year-old patient reaches milestone on a left ventricular assist device
Gayle Wilkerson has lived for 10 years with a left ventricular assist device, a mechanical pump that helps a damaged heart pump blood. The milestone is one not many patients reach. Gayle Wilkerson doesn’t accept hero status. Her care team at Mayo Clinic disagrees. At age 84, Gayle, holds the honor of living on a left ventricular […]
Tags: congestive heart failure, Dr. Robert Scott, Left Ventricular Assist Device
December 24, 2020
10 years, 2 brothers, 2 transplants: the Wilson brothers’ story
The Wilson brothers’ connection goes deeper than the average siblings. They both were in serious need of a heart transplant. The brothers now have new hearts, a new perspective on life, and a new purpose. On the surface, John and Mark Wilson are model brothers. Growing up, the two would playfully pick on each other […]
Tags: Churg-Strauss syndrome, Heart tranplant, Left Ventricular Assist Device
May 1, 2019
Left Ventricular Assist Device Delivers Restored Health and Vitality
In 2006, Ron Schneider was told to get his affairs in order by a local medical team who said they’d done all they could to fix his failing heart. After seeking a second opinion at Mayo Clinic, however, Ron’s now feeling and living better than he has in years.
Tags: heart failure, Left Ventricular Assist Device, ventricular assist device
June 9, 2017
Young Mom’s Long Wait Ends With Gift of a New Heart
Sarah Bradley’s heart failed when she was only 27 years old. Today, after more than two years living with the assistance of a device that kept her blood flowing and her health stable, she’s the grateful recipient of a new heart.
Tags: cardiomyopathy, Cardiovascular Diseases, heart failure, Heart transplant, Jenifer Spadafore, Left Ventricular Assist Device
March 13, 2017
Heart Transplant Puts an Active Athlete Back in Action
Kraig Gresham was 47 years old when he received his heart transplant, but his journey to that life-changing surgery began years earlier. Kraig was born with aortic stenosis — a birth defect that causes heart valves to narrow and obstruct blood flow. As a child he had heart problems as a result of his condition. […]
Tags: Heart transplant, Left Ventricular Assist Device, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center, organ donation, ventricular assist device
February 15, 2017
Local Politician Doesn’t Skip a Beat With Mechanical Heart Pump
While Walter “Junior” Boatright was running for a second term as Nassau county commissioner in northeast Florida in November 2012, he started to feel winded. At first, he chalked it up to getting older and just not having the same energy he used to, while campaigning 15 hours a day. But after the campaign was […]
Tags: Cardiac Rehabilitation, Dr. Daniel Yip, Dr. Jeffrey Hosenpud, Dr. Kevin Landolfo, heart failure, Heart Failure Clinic, Left Ventricular Assist Device, LVAD
August 12, 2016
Life Beyond A Heart Transplant is Vibrant and Full for Elmo Aquino
Fifteen years ago, Elmo Aquino, a resident of Orange Park, Florida, was an avid runner. He’d competed in Jacksonville’s Gate River Run, an annual 15-kilometer running event, several times. But one morning in the summer of 2001, his active lifestyle came to an abrupt end when suddenly, while on a treadmill, he found he couldn’t […]
Tags: Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Dr. Daniel Yip, Dr. Jeffrey Hosenpud, Left Ventricular Assist Device, Mayo Clinic in Florida, MayoClinicFL, transient ischemic attack
November 17, 2015
Taking It in Stride — Amputations, Heart Surgeries and a Pump Won’t Dampen Dick Feller’s Spirit
Dick Feller likes to joke about his medical escapades. In just six years, Dick Feller had three open-heart operations, had both legs and an arm amputated, and was fitted with a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, to keep his heart pumping. That’s a lot for one person to take. But with unconditional support from […]
Tags: Aortic Dissection, Cardiac surgery, Cardiovascular Diseases, Dr. John Stulak, heart surgery, Left Ventricular Assist Device