Deborah mends a broken heart
Five years ago, when Linda Minnella of Belmar was just 51 years old, she was the picture of health. A tap, jazz and ballet dancer; health and physical education teacher; substance abuse counselor; and tap dance teacher, she stood 5 feet 2 inches and weighed 110 pounds.
She never had high blood pressure or cholesterol and didn’t drink or smoke. Yet one day while working out in the gym, “I felt like I had an elephant on my chest,” she recalls. Like many women with no risk factors for heart disease, Minnella ignored her symptoms. She continued to work out, had dinner with her four sons, took her hip-hop dance class, went to sleep, got up and went to work at Hersh High School the next day.
Getting the right care
“After hearing about the gym episode, the school nurse told me that something wasn’t right,” says Minnella. “She urged me to go to the hospital.” At the hospital, her vital signs were perfect, but after two EKGs it was clear she had a problem. After further testing, she was transferred to Deborah Heart and Lung Center for cardiac catheterization. There, it was discovered that she had a 100 percent blockage of her main artery.
“I was so healthy that this came as a shock,” she says. “But I had been through a rough divorce and had a lot of emotional pain. I told the Deborah physicians, ‘My heart is broken.’”
Expert bypass surgery performed by Deborah cardiothoracic surgeon Arthur Ng, M.D., quickly resolved Minnella’s problem. Within six weeks, she was back to work, dancing and teaching.
Giving back
Minnella was so thankful for the exceptional care she received at Deborah that she decided to become a Zipper Club (for people of all ages with heart problems) support member and weekly surgical floor volunteer.
“I talk with patients and families and it helps them—and me—tremendously,” says Minnella. “I’m very dedicated to Deborah and can’t say enough good things about the hospital. My high school students and co-workers were so touched by my Deborah experience that now every February we run a fundraiser for the hospital, selling homemade lollipops, cakes and chocolate-covered strawberries. It’s all very sweet. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Deborah,” she adds.
Healing hearts
Visit www.deborah.org to learn more about how Deborah Heart and Lung Center can help you or your loved one.