American Heart Association of Catawba County | Heart Ball 2019 Survivor Story | Jim's Story

The American Heart Association of Catawba County presented their 24th annual Catawba County Heart Ball on 2-23-19. Hindsight is 20/20, but Jim Correll certainly didn’t consider himself at risk for a heart attack, much less quadruple bypass surgery. In the words of Jim’s wife, Liz, “Jim has led a pretty clean life.” At age 69, Jim isn’t a smoker, ate healthy and played golf or walked his dog on a regular basis. What he didn’t realize was that the heart disease that impacted both is mother and father was genetically passed on to him. This became evident in July 2018. Jim and Liz were taking his mother-in-law to lunch. This typical Sunday outing started off like any other weekend, but Jim began to feel an unusual sensation in his left arm. After asking Liz for ibuprofen, the feeling subsided, but by the time lunch was over, Jim felt tightness in his chest and jaw. Jim knew the signs of a heart attack and quickly told his wife that he needed to go home and that she needed to drive. Liz realized that Jim’s condition was urgent and after dropping off her mom, they headed to the hospital. While the initial tests did not confirm a heart issue, doctors asked Jim to wait and let them do more bloodwork. Within a few hours, Jim and Liz got the results he expected. He had suffered a mild heart attack and they wanted to do a stress test and catherization. An early morning echocardiogram showed four major blockages, in areas that couldn’t be stented. This news came as a surprise to Jim and Liz, but what doctors told them next shocked them even more. Jim would need quadruple bypass surgery the very next day. Jim’s mom had gone through bypass surgery so he was familiar, but Liz couldn’t believe that he had to have open heart surgery so quickly. They notified his sons and the rest of the family, who all traveled to Hickory to be with them at the hospital. The medical advancements in cardiovascular care, research funded by the American Heart Association, have made life after surgery much easier. Within a day, Jim asked to walk around and was released the following weekend. He credits his medical care and his cardio rehab with giving him a new lease on life. A valued member of the Catawba Valley community, Jim has spent much of the last two decades helping others enjoy all that life has to offer. From running the Greater Hickory Classic PGA Golf Tournament to serving as president of the Hickory Sportsman Club, Jim’s passion has created lasting memories and brought much attention to the community he loves. As a new member of the “Zipper Club,” Jim wears his scar proudly and is thankful and grateful, he’s now labeled a heart survivor. A special thank you to Jim & his family for sharing his story. -------------------- BPope Productions: www.bpopeproductions.com Facebook: facebook.com/bpopeproductions Instagram: instagram.com/bpopeproductions | @bpopeproductions Thanks for watching!