Four years ago, Jackie Rogers, a 53-year-old mother of four boys and two daughters-in-law, began experiencing unusual chest pain. What initially seemed like a minor health issue soon became a life-altering journey, one that would test her resilience and challenge her faith in the healthcare system.

Jackie, who works as a caregiver for people with special needs from her home, recalls the day that changed everything. "It was four years ago this May, when I felt some weird chest pain,” she begins. “I went to the hospital and was admitted right away. They first diagnosed me with pericarditis."

Pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining around the heart, is relatively rare but typically treatable. However, Jackie's case was anything but typical. Just days after being discharged, her symptoms worsened, and she found herself back in the hospital.

During this time, the world was grappling with COVID-19, making an already challenging situation even more difficult. Jackie was alone in hospital, facing an uncertain future.

"I was on my own," she says, reflecting on the isolation of those early days. "They repeated the echo, and it showed that my lining was thickening. They were quite concerned."

Jackie's condition continued to deteriorate, leading to a diagnosis that would upend her life: constrictive pericarditis, a condition where the pericardium (the lining around the heart) becomes scarred and rigid, restricting the heart's ability to function properly. What made her case even more puzzling was that doctors couldn't identify a clear cause. "They don't know how or why I have it,” she says. “They suspect it might have been a random virus that went to my heart, but it had nothing to do with COVID."

Jackie's treatment journey was anything but straightforward. Over the past four years, she has undergone numerous tests, including 15 echocardiograms, several MRIs, and multiple trips to specialists in Calgary and Edmonton. The physical and emotional toll of this journey has been immense, not only for Jackie but also for her family.

"My husband had to take time off work, and we made several trips to Edmonton," she explains. "Traveling was hard because my feet would swell from the heart problems. We had to make multiple stops, but it's not just the physical burden but the financial and emotional stress on top of it all.”

One of the most challenging aspects of her journey was dealing with the side effects of the medication. Jackie suffered severe reactions to some of the treatments, which often made her feel worse.

"The medicine was making me worse health-wise, not heart-wise,” she recalls. “It came to the point where the only thing left to do was a pericardiectomy."

The surgery was initially scheduled for February 2022 but was postponed due to COVID-19. When it was finally set for July, Jackie prepared herself for what she thought was the next step in her recovery. But, in a surprising twist, the surgery was canceled at the last minute - her condition had inexplicably improved.

"The surgeon told me he had never canceled a pericardiectomy before, but my condition had gone away,” she says, still perplexed by the outcome.

Jackie's experience highlights some of the systemic issues within healthcare, particularly in dealing with rare or complex conditions.

Despite having a dedicated team of specialists, including Dr. Zielke and Dr. Decker, who have been instrumental in her care, Jackie often found herself battling the system, especially in emergency rooms.

“The hardest part has been the emergency room,” she says. “You sit there for hours, and sometimes the doctors don't believe you know what you need. It's frustrating when you're dealing with something so serious but hard to explain.”

During this time, the world was grappling with COVID-19, making an already challenging situation even more difficult. Jackie was alone in hospital, facing an uncertain future.

The frequent trips to Calgary and Edmonton, often for tests that could be done closer to home, added to the strain. “It would be nice to know that there's more help down here closer to home,” Jackie says.

Through it all, Jackie remains incredibly grateful for the care she has received, particularly from Dr. Zielke and her nurse, Karen. “Nobody could ask for better than Dr. Zielke,” Jackie says. “She doesn't make you feel rushed, she's thorough, and she knows what she's doing. And Karen, she's phenomenal. I can call her, and she knows exactly who I am."

For Jackie, the support from these dedicated healthcare professionals has made all the difference in navigating this difficult journey. She also expresses her deep appreciation to the donors whose generosity enables the purchase of vital medical equipment and services. “Thank you,” she says simply. "You can really make a lot of lives easier."

As Jackie continues to manage her condition, she remains hopeful that future advancements in healthcare will reduce the burden on patients like her. "Traveling isn't easy when it's financially or physically not easy," she says. “I really hope that they can open something down here to help more people."

Jackie's story is a powerful reminder of the human side of healthcare. It's not just about the treatments and the tests, but about the people – the patients, families, and healthcare workers – who are all part of the journey.

In the face of overwhelming odds, Father Prince M., a chaplain working with Covenant Health at St. Michael's and Buffalo Grace in Lethbridge, embodies the spirit of resilience and hope.

His journey with cardiac issues, which began in 2004, has been marked by numerous surgeries, countless hospital visits, and an unwavering faith in both his medical team and the power of community.

Father Prince's heart troubles started nearly two decades ago, and his life has since been an ongoing battle with cardiac disease. “I had my first angioplasty in 2004, and then a bypass surgery at Toronto Sunnybrook Hospital," he recounts. "Since then, I've had five more angioplasties, with two stents placed each time. At present, I have 10 stents in me.”

Despite these interventions, Father Prince's heart remains a threat to his health. Recently, he began experiencing chest pain and angina again, indicating further complications. “I still have four blockages – two at 100%, one at 70-80%, and one at 30-40%. We're still waiting for more treatment,” he says.

One of the greatest challenges Father Prince faces is the lack of specialized cardiac care in Lethbridge

While his condition requires immediate and ongoing attention, the necessary facilities are not available locally. “The most stressful thing now is that I live in Lethbridge, but all my cardiology treatment – angioplasties and other technical procedures – has to be done in Calgary,” he explains.

This distance proved to be particularly challenging two years ago when Father Prince experienced a severe cardiac episode. “I came to the hospital by ambulance, but unfortunately, there was no lab here to perform the necessary procedures. They stabilized me and tried to arrange for an air ambulance, but that didn't happen. Instead, I was taken by road to Calgary, which was so stressful."

The journey took over two hours, a dangerous delay for someone during a cardiac emergency. “We need only God's grace to sustain our lives in such cases here,” he says. The reality is stark: without a catheter lab in Lethbridge, many lives, including Father Prince's, are at risk during these critical moments.

As a chaplain, Father Prince is deeply involved in the lives of his patients and residents in the facilities he serves. He sees firsthand the suffering that comes from the lack of local cardiac care.

"In my profession, I deal with so many patients and residents of all ages. I see people suffering a lot because we don't have a catheter lab or cardiac facility in Lethbridge. If we had one here, even my life would be extended more," he says, with a sense of urgency in his voice.

Father Prince's attachment to his community is profound. Despite the advice from his family and friends to move closer to Calgary for better access to care, he remains steadfast in his commitment to the people of Lethbridge.

"I'm so much attached to my patients and the facilities here. I have some emotional attachment to the people here. I don't want to move just for my personal benefit.” he explains.

For Father Prince, the idea of having a cardiac facility in Lethbridge isn't just a dream - it's a necessity.

He passionately calls on the community to support Bringing Hearts Home.

"If anyone could support this project to make it a reality, you would be saving lives," he urges. “Not only mine, but so many lives around Lethbridge who otherwise wouldn't make it to Calgary. That's the greatest thing we could do on this Earth - save somebody's life."

Father Prince's gratitude for the care he has received is immense. He specifically thanks Dr. Zielke, his cardiologist in Lethbridge, for her compassion and dedication.

"She's so compassionate, so caring, so kind, so approachable. That's a great thing in this region when it comes to cardiac care,” he says. He also acknowledges the excellent care he received at Calgary's Foothills Hospital, the Mazankowski Heart Institute in Edmonton, and Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital, where he had his bypass surgery.

Despite the challenges, Father Prince remains hopeful. The possibility of a cardiac care facility in Lethbridge brings him immense joy. “When I heard about [Bringing Hearts Home], I was so excited, so happy,” he says. “It would save so many lives here, including mine.”

Father Prince Mookkanottil's story is a powerful testament to the critical need for local cardiac care in Lethbridge. His journey reflects not just the struggles of one man, but the broader challenges faced by many in the community who are living with cardiac conditions. With the right support, the dream of accessible, life-saving cardiac care in Lethbridge could soon become a reality.