Mark's Posts

It’s been quite a while since I have hopped on to see all you heart Warriors! It has been a very busy past few months gearing up for our annual Christmas Ring and Run event and also delivering to our recipients that were chosen by our small town communities within my Minnesota County I live in. This year we raised over 40k and knocked on 72 individuals or families to “cheer” them up for the holidays. I remember back in April about a week after I got home from my 4th open heart surgery. I looked at my wife still in pain from surgery and said to her I wonder why I pulled through this one. It’s been a lifelong disease from birth and this time both the tricuspid and pulmonary valves were replaced. As we sat there, I looked over at her and said “I don’t think my mission is over” and she thought the same thing. Eleven years since my finding of this organization all because of this disease and a vision to let folks make someone’s day,minute or hour that has faced tragedy such as heart,cancer,parkinsons or other diseases and sadly maybe the loss of a loved one during the Christmas time of year. So all of you who are still yet facing the anxiety and wait of a valve replacement your mission is not over. Stay the path and let the miracle workers do their thing and have faith above all that you are and have much more to do when you recover from your surgery. Merry Christmas to all and Blessings to you and your family during this wonderful time of year!

Well, just a bit over a month since my double valve replacement. The worst thing I did was compare my previous surgery off of this one. Maybe age had a thing to do with my first three weeks post op? But when it truly came down to it I couldn’t stop thinking about my daughter and her surgery two years ago and what a champ she was with her HCM disease. As the shirt says “Faith is what keeps this heart beating!” Sometimes you have to let go and let God carry you through those most difficult times and he did. Blessings to all you heart champs! Keep the faith!

Hey all you heart champs! One more day and we are out of here! A replacement pulmonary valve and a brand new tricuspid valve and my 4th ICD installed today. I am so very blessed and appreciate this group. As my congenital heart doctor said “You’re just getting started.” How true that is and now we can recover and write that next chapter. God Bless all of you.