William’s Essay

At age 77, I’ve survived six heart attacks, quintuple bypass surgery, 10 stent emplacements and too many angioplasties, I had never been visited by a Mended Hearts visitor, much less heard of the organization. The closest chapter to me was an hour away in Goldsboro, N.C., Chapter 194.

That all changed after I retired in 1990 from the U. S. Army and a 22-years as an Army Civilian retiring in 2012. Well, I retired from working from the Army and that freed up a lot of time. As a survivor of the open heart surgery in January 2000, it was time to give back to other heart patients. So now I’m at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center visiting heart patients.

After I found out about Mended Hearts, which is composed entirely of people who have had a cardiac procedure of some kind. I became a member and then an accredited visitor with the Goldsboro Chapter 194. An Accredited Visitor is first Mended Hearts member and secondly a hospital volunteer. That volunteer and Mended Hearts member then receives additional training from Mended Hearts on how to speak with patients and provide them hope and encouragement before or after their cardiac procedure. We visitors work with the hospital’s Heart Center and before the COPVID 19 restrictions, were allowed by the hospital to enter a patient’s room and talk to them about Mended Hearts and to offer hope and encouragement, especially to follow the doctor’s orders, take his or her medicine and to exercise. We let the patient also know about the hospital’s excellent cardiac rehabilitation classes and strongly recommend that the patient participate in the program. Since we started as a satellite in 2012, we’ve visited more than 8,000 patients. A lot of them end up coming to meetings. More than 30 have become members.

I started working on becoming Fayetteville’s own chapter. In January, 2016, we met that goal and became Chapter 400, Mended Hearts of Fayetteville, receiving our charter from the Mid-Atlantic Region Director and Assistant Regional Director. I am now the president of Chapter 400.

Before my fourth heart procedure I was pushing 250 pounds. I finally realized I had to lose weight because I’m also a diabetic. I have since lost 80 pounds and moving to a plant-based diet because the plant-based diet has been shown to reduce plaque in the heart’s arteries.

I once visited a patient getting ready open heart surgery and was very anxious. At the next day’s visit, he was very calm after talking with me. I made a difference. We have a saying that we tell patients: “As you are I was. As I am, you will be.” The Mended Hearts motto is “It’s great to be alive…and to help others.” Their mission is “Inspiring hope and improving the quality of life for heart patients and their families through ongoing peer-to-peer support.” I know we are making a difference to the patients and their families!