FEBRUARY 28,2018
BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
News
The fabric of Bertie County since 1832
Vidant Bertie celebrates heart health
LESLIE BEACHBOARD
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - Young at
heart.
That vwis the theme
the 2018 Vidant Bertie
Hospital’s Heart Truth
Dinner.
The event was held
Thursday, Feb. 15 at
the Cashie-Heritage
Convention Center.
The event was a
packed house, booking
up weeks in advance.
Vidant Bertie Hos
pital Vice President of
Patient Care Services
Silva Rose welcomed
guests.
Each guest was given
a gift bag.
Rose explained the
reusable tote bags were
filled with information,
a water bottle and oth
er resources.
Vidant Bertie Hospi
tal Lead Chaplain, the
Rev. Jeffery Russell, led
the invocation for the
evening’s dinner.
Heritage House Res
taurant provided a meal
of grilled chicken with
peach chutney, grilled
asparagus, baked sweet
potatoes and red velvet
cake.
Guests enjoyed their
meal while talking and
getting to know the
other guests at their
table.
The first speaker of
the evening was Dr.
Tracy Sambo, general
surgeon at Vidant Gen
eral Surgery-Edenton
and Windsor.
Sambo opened by
telling a funny story
about her mother.
“My first job was at
McDonald’s and 1 had
to go in at 4 a.m. when
1 opened on the week
ends. My mother al
ways wanted me to call
her when 1 go there.
So on this particular
morning, 1 got to work
and parked in the park
ing lot behind the store
and went in and started
to work,” she said.
“1 forgot to call my
mother and she could
not get through to me
on the phone because
one of the employees
was on the phone. She
gets up in her pajamas
and drives around the
McDonald’s looking for
me,” Sambo added.
According to Sambo,
her mother got out and
began beating on the
drive-through window.
“Other employees
began yelling for me to
call the police because
a homeless person is
trying to break in. 1
called the police and
my mother was pulled
a few miles away, fitting
the description of the
person 1 had described.
My mother would al
ways tell the story of
how 1 tried to get her
arrested,” she said.
Sambo discussed the
best practices for keep
ing a healthy heart and
tips to improve heart
health.
“Get regular check
ups with your doctor.
Have labs drawn to
check for cholesterol
levels, have your blood
pressure checked.
Know your current lev
els and make goals to
help bring them back
to normal,” she added.
Sambo challenged ev
eryone to get active.
“Get active. Try to get
in 150 minutes a week
in exercise. A good way
is to get your friend to
gether and get moving.
Dr. Tracy Sambo of Vidant General Surgery discusses infor
mation on how to keep a healthy heart and prevent heart
problems.
Jessica Malore tells her story of having a massive heart at
tack at the age of 16, a heart transplant and three battles with
cancer.
Go on walks together,”
she said.
According to Sambo,
one of the biggest ways
to help heart health is
diet.
She recommended
not using the 80/20
method. This is when
individuals practice
healthy eating habits
Monday through Fri
day and do not eat as
healthy on the week
ends.
“Weight loss is
achieved by diet,” said
Sambo.
Sambo also explained
the symptoms of a
heart attack include:
breathlessness, flu-like
symptoms, fatigue, diz
ziness and pain in the
upper back and shoul
der.
“A major cardiac
event happens over a
short time and does
not happen over the
course of days,” closed
Sambo.
Next, Rose intro
duced the evening’s
keynote speaker, Jes
sica Malore.
Malore told her story
about having a heart
attack at 16, having a
heart transplant and
battling cancer three
times.
“1 was a 16-year-old
teenager eating dinner
in a restaurant with my
family when 1 began
not to feel well. 1 began
having pain down my
arms and in my chest.
1 thought 1 was having
an allergic reaction.
The last thing 1 remem
ber is hearing someone
yell, ‘call 9-1-1’,” said
Malore.
According to Malore,
she was transported
to a local hospital, and
as a doctor performed
an echocardiogram on
her heart, the doctor
explained the she was
having a massive car
diac event.
She had a blood clot
that needed to be re
moved. Malore was
moved to a new hospi
tal.
After the move, Ma-
lore’s health began to
increasingly decline
and last rites were per
formed for her.
Malore was eventu
ally transferred to a
third hospital, where
she learned she would
need a heart transplant
to live a full life.
Being it can take so
long to receive a heart
transplant, Malore was
placed on a left ventric
ular assist device heart
pump.
The battery-operated
device acts as the left
side of the heart and
has to have the battery
changed every two to
four hours.
Due to a complication
from a balloon placed
in her leg, Malore had
to have her leg ampu
tated from above the
knee just days after the
heart pump had been
implanted.
“1 had to decide be
tween my life or my leg,
and 1 decided to keep
my life. 1 woke up that
Sunday feeling better. 1
know 1 couldn’t change
1 had lost my leg. 1 re
ceived a prosthetic leg
and learned to walk
with it,” said Malore.
She moved onto the
floor of the hospital
known as the Heart
Failure Hotel.
This was the floor
where individuals were
moved who is waiting
for heart transplants.
“I still wanted to go
home and live a normal
life. All of my family
members and friends
had to learn how to
change my batteries
and learn how to manu
ally pump my heart if 1
have a malfunction with
the pump,” she added.
After six weeks, Ma
lore was able to leave
the Heart Failure Hotel
and return home to her
semi-normal life.
“1 still had dreams,
and 1 wanted to go to
college. 1 decided to
apply to Princeton Uni
versity,” she said.
Two days before
prom, Malore was ad-
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mitted to the hospital
due to her red blood
cell count being low.
She had to receive three
blood transfusions.
“1 was in the hospi
tal and upset because
1 had a nail appoint
ment. The doctor called
downstairs and a nurse
came up and gave me
a French manicure.
The next day 1 was re
leased in time to get
my hair done and make
it to prom. 1 was named
prom queen,” added
Malore.
Several days before
her high school gradu
ation, Malore got the
phone call she had
been waiting for. There
was a heart available.
“1 remember waking
up and feeling relief and
joy feeling my heart
beating on my hand,”
she said.
After attending her
freshman year at Princ
eton University, Malore
found a swollen lymph
node.
After the lymph node
began to grow. She had
some testing done and
was diagnosed with
Non-Hodgkin’s Lym
phoma.
Malore fought the
lymphoma and went
into remission.
She graduated from
Princeton University in
2003.
Malore became a mo
tivational speaker and
moved to New York but
six-and-a-half years lat
er she was diagnosed
with a stronger form of
lymphoma.
“The new lymphoma
required stronger treat
ment that requires
three weeks a month of
inpatient chemothera
py. 1 performed my job
and conference calls.
and continued to work
for a hospital room. 1
squeezed every mo
ment 1 could into my
week off. After leight
months of treatment, 1
was in remission,” said
Malore.
She explained she
became an advocate
for National Donor Day,
which also falls on Val
entine’s Day.
Malore had the op
portunity to meet the
mother of her heart
donor and ride in the
Rose Bowl Parade in
honor of her.
“A few years ago, 1
began to have unusual
symptoms and was di
agnosed with endome
trial cancer at 33 years
old. In the past 1 have
never documented the
journey just the out
come, so this time 1
documented the jour
ney,” she added.
Malore cut her hair
and donated it. She un
derwent a hysterecto
my and completed che
motherapy. Then she
did a powerful photo
shoot with no hair.
“1 have been given
second, third and
fourth chances at life. 1
want to educate people
about issues. Everyone
should take time, listen
to their body and see a
doctor,” Malore closed.
Rose concluded the
event by thanking each
of the guests and draw
ing a name for a door
prize donated by the
Bertie County Coopera
tive Extension.
Leslie Beachboard can
be reached via email at
lbeachboard@ncweek-
lies.com.
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