Jerry Hagans, Muskegon Heart Failure Survivor
They say a heart attack can strike anytime, and it sure was true in my case. I was traveling in the UP when I started to realize something was wrong. But since there were no doctors or hospitals nearby, I toughed it out until I could make it home to Muskegon.
When I finally saw my family doctor, he ran four EKG tests on me — all off the charts. My heart had begun to shut down, and I was rushed to the ER. But I was lucky: Mercy's cardiologists performed a bypass surgery and implanted a pacemaker in my chest. The operation saved my life.
Today, I'm almost done with Mercy's cardiac rehab program, and I'm back to working part-time as a minister. I've got a lot to be thankful for — especially a great team of doctors.