You can give every family the best chance for a future of health and hope.
Your gift today can bring hope to families like Paul’s, who count on the care only INTEGRIS Health can provide.
Your gift today can bring hope to families like Paul’s, who count on the care only INTEGRIS Health can provide.
Paul and Shari moved to Oklahoma to pursue their long-held dream of living a ranch life. But not long after arriving, Paul was not himself. He didn’t want to eat, struggled to breathe, and had no energy. He had to sit and rest halfway up the staircase before reaching the top.
Initially misdiagnosed with asthma, Paul’s health worsened. He was gravely ill. He spent a week at his local hospital, where the staff there did their best to help, but they were limited in what they could do to treat his serious condition. Shari insisted they go to INTEGRIS Health Heart Hospital at Baptist Medical Center. There, everything changed.
Paul’s condition was quickly diagnosed. He needed a heart transplant. Throughout his treatment, Paul’s care team showed exceptional skill and comforted and reassured the whole family.
David Nelson, M.D., would pray with the family when they met. Being Christians themselves, Paul and Shari were greatly comforted by the prayers. The family found Dr. Doug, another member of Paul's team, personable and animated. “He almost makes heart failure fun,” Paul said.
“We can’t thank INTEGRIS Health enough. It means the world to my family that they saved my husband, Paul, and our youngest daughter, Natalie. We love them for it.”
Paul’s transplant was a success. He returned to his family and ranch, thinking the worst was behind them. But a year later, Natalie, who was just 19, developed alarming symptoms. One day, she collapsed near the barn. Paul immediately called for emergency help, fearing they might lose her.
Thanks to donors like you, INTEGRIS Health was ready. Natalie was flown to the hospital, where the same team that saved her father also saved her life. The very surgeon who gave Paul his new heart performed Natalie’s life-saving surgery.
Today, Paul and his daughter, Natalie, who is married with two children, are healthy and deeply grateful to everyone who helped save their lives.
“We’re so thankful to have INTEGRIS Health doctors and nurses who truly care about us. It’s comforting to know they understand our family’s history and will always do what’s best for us," Natalie said.
Paul and Shari now cherish every moment with their eight grandchildren, something Paul once feared he wouldn’t live to see.
