Michael's Walk for 1 in 100
Family, Friends, and Colleagues,
On June 2nd, 2019, I will be joining members of my Penn Medicine care team for the Greater Philadelphia Walk for 1 in 100, a walk to benefit those battling congenital heart disease. I am asking for your support in helping me raise money for this good and very personal cause. All proceeds are being donated to the Adult Congenital Heart Association and are tax deductible.
For many of you it will come as a surprise that I was born with a serious congenital heart defect. This is because it has always been something I wore on the inside, and I was always hesitant to expose such a vulnerability. In essence, one of my heart valves developed only one cusp as opposed to three. This lead to the deterioration of the aortic valve, aorta, and the heart muscle.
I've spent each year of my life in and out of the hospital, always bearing the news that things had gotten just a little bit worse. Then last Fall, I was informed that my condition had deteriorated to the point where my heart could no longer sustain functioning. At this point, surgery was imminent. On December 10, 2018, I endured the approximately 8-hour procedure that would change my life forever. In one operation my aortic valve, ascending aorta, and a segment of my aortic arch were replaced. My mitral valve was also repaired. I was on bypass for 139 minutes and in a state of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest for 15 minutes where I was actually clinically dead. I spent a couple days in the ICU with a breathing tube, about a week in the hospital, and several months at home undergoing an intensive rehab program.
This story isn’t so much about the details of the procedure, though. It’s more about the multitude of life lessons that I was able to glean from it. Though the surgery was crushingly painful on both a physical and emotional level, I am so fortunate to have experienced it. It has afforded me a perspective on life most people will never know. It is cliché, but one fundamental life lesson I learned is that in times of true crisis you find out who is with you and who isn’t. This experience exposed a rich and profound love from family and friends. The lesson here, is that the community of people that you are surrounded by is your most invaluable asset. Invest in it and treasure it – because in the end, it's all you'll have – and in the present, it's all that will provide you with the truest sense of purpose.
That is why I am so thankful for each and every one of you. I am happy to report that I am well and fully recovered from the ordeal.
Remember that life breaks all of us, and it is how you pick up the pieces in times of hardship that defines character. Work hard, love deeply, express yourself, and for God sakes don’t take yourself too seriously.
Thank you so very much,
Michael
On June 2nd, 2019, I will be joining members of my Penn Medicine care team for the Greater Philadelphia Walk for 1 in 100, a walk to benefit those battling congenital heart disease. I am asking for your support in helping me raise money for this good and very personal cause. All proceeds are being donated to the Adult Congenital Heart Association and are tax deductible.
For many of you it will come as a surprise that I was born with a serious congenital heart defect. This is because it has always been something I wore on the inside, and I was always hesitant to expose such a vulnerability. In essence, one of my heart valves developed only one cusp as opposed to three. This lead to the deterioration of the aortic valve, aorta, and the heart muscle.
I've spent each year of my life in and out of the hospital, always bearing the news that things had gotten just a little bit worse. Then last Fall, I was informed that my condition had deteriorated to the point where my heart could no longer sustain functioning. At this point, surgery was imminent. On December 10, 2018, I endured the approximately 8-hour procedure that would change my life forever. In one operation my aortic valve, ascending aorta, and a segment of my aortic arch were replaced. My mitral valve was also repaired. I was on bypass for 139 minutes and in a state of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest for 15 minutes where I was actually clinically dead. I spent a couple days in the ICU with a breathing tube, about a week in the hospital, and several months at home undergoing an intensive rehab program.
This story isn’t so much about the details of the procedure, though. It’s more about the multitude of life lessons that I was able to glean from it. Though the surgery was crushingly painful on both a physical and emotional level, I am so fortunate to have experienced it. It has afforded me a perspective on life most people will never know. It is cliché, but one fundamental life lesson I learned is that in times of true crisis you find out who is with you and who isn’t. This experience exposed a rich and profound love from family and friends. The lesson here, is that the community of people that you are surrounded by is your most invaluable asset. Invest in it and treasure it – because in the end, it's all you'll have – and in the present, it's all that will provide you with the truest sense of purpose.
That is why I am so thankful for each and every one of you. I am happy to report that I am well and fully recovered from the ordeal.
Remember that life breaks all of us, and it is how you pick up the pieces in times of hardship that defines character. Work hard, love deeply, express yourself, and for God sakes don’t take yourself too seriously.
Thank you so very much,
Michael
Organizer
Michael Barbe
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
Adult Congenital Heart Association
Beneficiary