Mending Hearts
Mended Hearts volunteer and Marine Corps Veteran, David Horan presents the organization’s signature "heart pillow" to fellow Marine Corps Veteran Eric Konovalov during a recent visit to the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Mending Hearts, One Pillow at a Time
Not many people can say a heart-shaped pillow changed their life, but David Horan, a Marine Corps Veteran, will be the first to say that's exactly what happened to him.
After having open heart surgery years ago, Horan vividly remembers lying in his hospital bed wondering what an elderly woman who just wandered into his room possibly wanted with him.
"In 2006, I had a lady, who was probably in her late 70s or early 80s shuffle into my patient room,” explained Horan, who served as a communications officer. She had a pillow in one hand and a booklet about Mended Hearts in the other.
"I just kept asking her, why I needed Mended Hearts because I just couldn't understand how this related to me. Well, the way Mended Hearts works is patients relating to patients, it’s just that one patient is in the bed and the other patient has been there."
Founded in 1951 and the largest cardiovascular peer-to-peer support network in the world, Mended Hearts provides trained accredited 'visitors' who serve heart patients and caregivers in hospitals around the country, including many Veteran Affairs medical facilities. There are more than 300 chapters and 20,000 members in 48 states. Mended Hearts volunteers conduct nearly a quarter of a million visits annually.
During these visits, the Mended Hearts volunteers are there to empathize, share their experiences as heart patients, provide information on heart health and generally just be there to show they have survived and moved on.
"So whether you're six months or sixteen years or more from your surgery, you can relate to what that person is going through and you can answer any questions that heart patient may have."
Horan explains that after his first surgery, he was young, single and had no idea how it would impact his life. However, after attending monthly support group meetings and talking to his peers talk about their recovery from open heart surgery, he was able to better cope with such a large medical life event.
Since becoming involved with Mended Hearts, I've learned that life is what you make it, Horan said. Mended Hearts motto is It’s great to be alive and help others' and that's really where it's at. Unlike the doctors, nurses and breathing techs who have certifications and experience, I'm the only one that can walk in [to a heart patient] and say I've been where you are.
"There is an instant bond created because they understand that I've lived it, that I’ve recovered from it. Now having recovered from two open heart surgeries (2006 and 2016), having a wonderful son and a beautiful loving wife, you realize there is a message there and when you carry that message forward, especially to a young Vet, who thinks I’m 36, why am I having [open heart surgery]. It’s interesting to go in and say how you’re feeling is how I felt at 32."
For the past 11 years Horan has been providing those same pillows and Mended Hearts Heartguide books to local hospitals. The medical center’s Chief, Cardiac Surgery Dr. Gregory Trachiotis is responsible for Mended Hearts’ involvement at the Washington DC VA Medical Center.
"Dr. Trachiotis realized that Veterans need someone to talk to who has been through the same type of surgery," added Horan. Horan recently carried the Mended Hearts message forward during a visit to the medical center, ironically to another Marine.
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Eric Konovalov never imagined the pain in this back could lead to open heart surgery at age 32, but that’s exactly what happened. The aviation operations specialist, was unaware of a congenital heart defect until he saw a doctor after complaining about back pain.
"Mended Hearts is pretty cool, they give you a pillow that you can hold on to when coughing or standing up. I got everybody that is taking care of me to sign it too," he said.
Horan regularly visits the medical center bringing heart-shaped pillows and encouragement to Veterans of all ages recovering from heart surgery to let them know they're not alone.
