My name is Anissa Lucas, and this is my mother Hattye Perry and myself in the Virgin Islands at my wedding March 23, 2024. I am a CMA and in March 2025, my mother let me know she wanted me to go with her to a doctors appointment, from there it was directly to Norfolk Heart Hospital. April 25, 2025, my mother had triple bypass surgery and no one knew she had any issues with her heart to this magnitude. I was by my mother's side from that day until she went to ICU, helping her day and night. On the other side of the surgery, I was again by my mother's side. I was able to use FMLA and help my mother through this ordeal and see my medical training pay off in best way! I took her to all of her post op appointments and was with her for PT/OT therapy at home. We then got her setup for Cardiac Rehab therapy three times a week. Every Friday, I picked my mother up and took her to doctor's appointments and therapy. Then I would go shopping at Sam's Club, Walmart or the Mall to make her walk more.

By the time my mom figured out that I was shopping to make her walk more, she was at the end of her therapy. I have never been prouder of my mother! for the grace and drive she exhibited during this time to rehabilitate herself. I can't thank everyone at the Heart Hospital, my manager Mary Waters at Elevance Health, my husband and my Lord and savior for my mother's healing and encouragement.