Been There. Still Standing.

My name is Jeff, and I’m a heart survivor.

Twenty-five years ago, I didn’t think of myself as someone at risk. I wasn’t sick. I wasn’t overweight. I was busy, stressed, and honestly—not very good at taking care of myself.

I finally decided to start walking and even signed up for a local half marathon. I was slow—so slow that by the time I reached the water stations, the tables were already gone. When I finished, I was exhausted and badly dehydrated. Someone suggested I get an IV just to be safe.

That IV probably saved my life.

As a precaution, they ran a blood test. Something didn’t look right. That led to more tests, and eventually the gold-standard test. That’s when they told me I had three major blockages and needed open-heart surgery.

I still remember hearing those words. You don’t forget that moment. Everything changes in an instant.

What followed was fear—but also something else: support.

Surgeons who knew exactly what they were doing.
Doctors who explained things clearly.
Nurses who never left my side.
Dietitians and cardiac rehab staff who helped me learn how to live again.

And then—something just as important—peer support.

People who had been there before me. People who could say, “I know what you’re feeling—and you’re going to get through this.”

That’s where Mended Hearts entered my life.

Later, when I was strong enough, I became a trained visitor. Along with others, we helped form a chapter connected with WakeMed. We went room to room—not as experts, not as clinicians—but as survivors.

We listened.
We reassured.
We passed it forward.

Because when someone sitting in a hospital bed sees a real person who’s lived through it—that matters.

Because of that care—medical and peer—I’ve been able to live a full life.

I’ve watched my family grow.
I’ve seen my children become adults.
I’ve met my grandchildren.
I’ve completed three full marathons, six half marathons, and even walked a 75-mile Camino in Spain.

None of that was guaranteed.

That’s why I volunteer.
That’s why Mended Hearts matters.
And that’s why I’m here.

If you’re a patient, or a family member, or someone wondering if things will ever feel normal again, I want you to know this:

You’re not alone.
You’re stronger than you think.
And there is life—real, meaningful life—on the other side of this.

I’m living proof.

Pictured with me is Hazel Covington was my partner in getting Mended Hearts Chapter 394 started. She is a wonderful human being who is a caring person and a nurse who always puts her patients first. I am very proud to work alongside her and our other members.

Hazel Covington RN, BSN
Heart & Vascular Quality Programs
Heart Failure and MI Program Nurse Navigator (CT Surgery, Heart Failure, & MI Program Nurse Navigator)
WakeMed Health & Hospitals