>>> FEBRUARY IS HOST TO A LOT OF
SPECIAL DAYS, INCLUDING AMERICAN
HEART MONTH.
FOR ONE NEW JERSEY COUPLE, THIS
MONTH HAS A LOT OF MEANING.
>> THEY BOTH EXPERIENCED
LIFE-THREATENING HEART
CONDITIONS AT THE SAME TIME, AND
DONNA IS HERE WITH YOUR
INCREDIBLE STORY.
HEY, DONNA.
>> HI, GUYS, IT REALLY IS
INCREDIBLE.
THEY ARE IN THEIR 60s AND THEY
JUST CELEBRATED THEIR 21st
VALENTINE’S DAY TOGETHER.
THIS YEAR THEY HAVE A NEW LEASE
ON LIFE.
AND THEY WANTED TO THANK THEIR
CARE TEAM.
>> SHE’S LOVING, SHE’S CARING,
SHE’S PASSIONATE.
>> WE CAN TRAVEL TOGETHER.
MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE, HE’S A
GOOD LISTENER, HE WAS A GOOD
FATHER, AND THAT MEANT A LOT FOR
ME.
>> FOR THE PAST 26 YEARS, THEY
SHARED COUNTLESS MEMORIES
TOGETHER.
>> WE’VE BEEN THROUGH FOR BETTER
OR WORSE, RICHER OR POORER.
WE’VE BEEN THROUGH EVERYTHING.
>> LAST MONTH HE STARTED FEELING
SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
THEIR DAUGHTER WHO LIVED
HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY IN
GEORGIA INSISTED HE SEE HIS
DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY.
>> HE SAID, GEORGE, YOU HAVE TO
COME IN.
I THINK I CAN PUT A STINT IN.
IT WILL BE QUICK AND EASY.
>> BUT SOON HIS DOCTOR REALIZED
ALL FOUR ARTERIES WERE SEVERELY
BLOCKED AND OPEN HEART SURGERY
WAS CENTRAL IN HACKENSACK, NEW
JERSEY.
HOW WERE YOU FEELING IN THAT
MOMENT?
WERE YOU SCARED?
>> BELIEVE IT OR NOT, MY CONCERN
WAS FOR MY WIFE BECAUSE I’VE
BEEN THE CAREGIVER.
FOR THE LAST TEN OR MORE YEARS.
>> IN HIS MIND, IT NEVER DAWNED
ON HIM THE MAGNITUDE --OF WHAT H
WAS GOING THROUGH.
>> JUST HOURS LATER, AUDREY
BEGAN TO ALSO EXPERIENCE
SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
AND THE NEXT MORNING SHE WAS
ADMITTED INTO THE SAME HOSPITAL
AS HER HUSBAND.
SHE DIDN’T TELL HIM THE EXTENT
OF HER HEART FAILURE, WHICH
REQUIRED A SURGICAL PROCEDURE.
>> I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT HE
IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT ME AT ALL.
SO I MADE SURE THAT HE HAD NO
CLUE.
>> AS A SURPRISE, THE STAFF AT
THE HOSPITAL ARRANGED FOR AUDREY
AND CHARLES TO RECOVER SIDE BY
SIDE UNTIL THEY WERE RELEASED ON
FEBRUARY 5th.
WHAT DO THESE DOCTORS AND NURSES
MEAN TO YOU?
NOT ONLY TO HAVE HELPED YOU BOTH
IN YOUR RECOVERIES BUT TO ALLOW
YOU TO DO IT TOGETHER?
>> IT MEANT EVERYTHING.
IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM, THERE
WAS CALM.
THERE WAS PEACE.
>> WE’RE VERY GRATEFUL.
I’M ALIVE BECAUSE OF THE CARE
AND THE CONCERN.
>> IF YOU TWO CAN HIDE YOUR
VIDEOS AND MUTE YOURSELVES,
PLEASE, BECAUSE WE ARE ABOUT TO
BRING IN THE DOCTORS AND NURSES.
I KNOW THAT YOU THINK WE’RE HERE
TO TALK ABOUT HEART HEALTH, AND
WE ARE, BUT I HAVE A SURPRISE
FOR YOU.
AUDREY AND CHARLES HAVE A LITTLE
SOMETHING THEY WANT TO SAY TO
YOU.
>> YOU’VE BLESSED US NOT ONLY TO
MAKE SURE THE CARE WAS
PHENOMENAL, BUT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE WERE TOGETHER IN OUR
TIME OF NEED TO DO THINGS THAT
YOU DID.
IT TOUCHED OUR HEARTS, IT
TOUCHED OUR SOULS, OUR FAMILY IS
SO BLESSED BY IT.
>> I BELIEVE A LOT OF WHAT YOU
DID WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING
US HEAL.
IT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE, HAD
THAT MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON US.
WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WE LOVE YOU
GUYS.
>> WHEN I MET YOU TWO, I KNEW
THAT BY PUTTING YOU TOGETHER, IT
WOULD SPEED UP YOUR RECOVERY.
YOU GUYS GOT OUT OF HERE EARLY
AND YOU LOOK GREAT.
>> IT’S MORE THAN JUST THE
PHYSICAL ACCOMMODATIONS.
ILTS
IT’S THE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, THE
FACILITATING OF THEM BEING ABLE
TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
>> WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT
PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY ABOUT HEART
HEALTH FROM THIS STORY?
>> I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT
PEOPLE DON’T FORGET ABOUT THEIR
HEART, ESPECIALLY IN THESE
TRYING TIMES WITH COVID.
YOU CAN’T IGNORE THE SIGNS AND
SYMPTOMS OF HEART DISEASE.
>> WE ACTUALLY HAVE ONE MORE
PERSON WHO WANTS TO SAY THANK
YOU TO YOU ALL.
IT’S AUDREY AND CHARLES’
DAUGHTER, KENDRA.
>> THERE IS JUST AN OVERWHELMING
GRATITUDE JUST TO KNOW THAT I
CAN LEAVE THEM IN YOUR HANDS AND
THEY CAME HOME IN THE MIDDLE OF
A PANDEMIC.
THAT FOR ME IS BY FAR AMAZING.
>> LOOK AT THEM.
THEY BECAME OUR FAMILY.
THEY’RE NOT JUST PATIENTS,
THEY’RE OUR FAMILY.
>> TO HEAR THE THANKS, IT REALLY
LIFTS US UP AND GIVES US
ENCOURAGEMENT.
IT’S BEEN A PRIVILEGE AND A
PLEASURE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM.
>> I THANK EVERYONE IN THIS
INDUSTRY.
AND WE PRAY FOR YOU DAILY.
THANK YOU.
GOD BLESS YOU.
>> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
>> OH, THE LAYERS OF LOVE.
>> I CAN’T EVEN BELIEVE WHAT I
JUST WITNESSED THERE, DONNA.
>> AND THEIR ENERGY AND LOVE FOR
LIFE WAS SO PALPABLE.
CHARLES AND AUDREY ARE HOME AND
THEY’RE TELLING US THEY’RE
FEELING REALLY GOOD.
AS YOU GUYS KNOW, TO WITNESS THE
POWER OF A THANK YOU, THAT’S
PRETTY UNBELIEVABLE.
>> I THINK THEY’RE ALSO THANKFUL
TO THE NURSES AND DOCTORS, BUT I
CAN’T IMAGINE THOSE NURSES AND
DOCTORS DIDN’T LOOK AT THEM AND
MARVEL AND SAY, IMAGINE THAT