Star Jones Instagram – On March 17, 2010…14 years ago today, I had full blown open heart surgery.
For 22 minutes during what was a 10 hour surgery, my doctors had my heart disconnected from my body and used the heart/lung machines to keep me alive so they could fix my heart and save my life.
As I sit on this plane, headed to Atlanta to do a job I love, @divorcecourt after having FaceTime with my husband @ricardolugochicago and son @jakelugo_ …whom I would never have known but for this life-saving surgery; I am so incredibly grateful to God for his grace and mercy.
I thank my @mountsinainyc family, Dr. Valentin Fuster, my brilliant cardiologist who refused to stop looking until he had the correct diagnosis, Dr. Paul Stelzer whose God-touched hands reached inside my chest and took my heart out of my body, fixed it and put it back in, and my dear sister-friend @dochphillips who managed my expectations and those of my family and friends throughout this whole ordeal and was and continues to be my health advocate.
Through the brilliance of clinicians and the science & research funded by the @american_heart , I not only survived heart disease… I have thrived!
Today is my “❤️-aversay” and I’m celebrating 14 years of #hearthealth as National Volunteer of the #AHA, an organization dedicated to helping us all live healthier lives.
I thank God for the gift of life, and now the ability to love and be loved by Ricardo and our son Jake. I thank my Daddy James Byard, my sister @jerseygirl0501 my beloved late mother and grandmother and all my other family and friends who surrounded me with prayers and love 14 years ago.
Thank you Nancy Brown for your leadership of the #AHA. Thank you @brookslancaster & @fisherpence for helping me get my message out over the last 14 years and thank you to my other heart survivor sisters of the @goredforwomen movement who are living breathing examples of “she who has health has hope…and she who has HOPE has everything she needs!”
– Star Jones, Heart Health Advocate ❤️ | Posted on 18/Mar/2024 01:43:19
