My name is Elinor Josephson and I was born with a congenital heart defect that at that time was considered rare. It’s called Tetralogy of Fallot, because there were 4 defects in my one little heart. I was born blue and that was when the doctors discovered there was something wrong with me. The life expectancy was not in my favor For the first 7 years of my life, I had low energy and had to squat frequently. Squatting, increases the heart’s preload, which is the amount of blood in the heart before it
contracts. My father was amazing and forbid my cousins and brother to pick me up. He gave me the space to be independent. When I turned 7 years old, I spent the summer at Babies Presbyterian Hospital and the brilliant Dr. James Malm operated on me. This operation we were told, fixed my heart. Fast forward, and when I hit my 40s I started to have arrythmias. I was a frequent flyer at Boca Regional ER and Cath Lab. Name a local hospital, and I have been a patient at one time or another. I had cardio versions (you’ve seen this on TV where they shock a patient
back into rhythm), ablations, and other procedures. It turns out that my heart wasn’t fixed but rather adjusted. That said – I am an anomaly. I have gone longer in between major surgeries for Tetralogy of Fallot than nearly everyone in my age range with this defect. In 2016, on a Temple trip to Israel, I was out of breath and for the first time I could not keep up with the group. I came home in heart failure and the next part of my journey
began. When I was released from the hospital, I met with the next amazing doctor who now is my QB and responsible for the incredible health that I now have. Dr Todd Roth is a mensch of mensches. He cares about the whole person, and has incredible knowledge about the adult congenital defect heart. I had a whole team down at Memorial Hospital in
Hollywood – a team that gave me a new lease on life. I had my second open heart surgery and had to miss the High Holy Days at Temple. But true to form, Temple Beth El was ahead of the curve and had livestream for services way before the pandemic. Nurses and doctors would walk past my room, see my healing blanket and see my standing up facing
east and praying with services on my Ipad. So now, I walk for the American Heart Association – an organization that trains people in
CPR to save lives. They invest in pioneering research leading to lifesaving breakthroughs. I’m sure you know someone with a heart issue. It doesn’t have to be something as dramatic as my congenital defect. It can be high blood pressure, a heart attack, and arrythmia just to name a few. Their lives are better and their survival rate is better due to the American Heart Association.