Dr. Dale Perrigan knew something was very wrong.
“One evening I woke up with a lot of pain in my chest,” said the Tennessee gynecological surgeon. As he lay in bed, on vacation in southwest Florida, Perrigan had no idea that pain in his chest would nearly end his life and lead to a heart transplant. Emergency room doctors, evaluating him that night, knew Dr. Perrigan needed help they could not provide, and quickly.
“He was life flighted (to AdventHealth Orlando) in a very sick condition, with signs of cardiogenic shock,” said Dr. Naveen Bellam, a heart failure transplant cardiologist with the AdventHealth Transplant Institute.
“We felt at that time that it would be best to get him on the transplant list and get him to an elevated status,” said Dr. Linda Bogar, a cardiothoracic heart and lung surgeon, and lung transplant program surgical director with AdventHealth Transplant Institute. Dr. Perrigan would spend eight months at AdventHealth Orlando with a ventricular assist device (VAD) helping pump blood through his badly damaged heart. When a donor heart became available, his transplant took place Oct. 21, 2022.
“I was praying to God, for peace (and) for strength,” said Page Perrigan, his wife.
“We were very impressed with the hospital and with the people.” During his recovery Dr. Perrigan and his wife made another life altering decision to move their home base to Orlando to be closer to the world class care offered by AdventHealth Transplant Institute. “We lived here for two years.”
“One day I came in and he was dancing in the kitchen. I knew he was back, I just cried,” Page Perrigan said. Eighteen months after his transplant, the couple have now moved back to Tennessee.
Nearly 104,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant in the U.S., according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Of those, almost 600 are being cared for by teams at the AdventHealth Transplant Institute, Orlando’s only solid-organ transplant program.
Florida residents can sign up to be an organ donor at https://www.donatelifeflorida.org
12 items. To interact with these items, press Control-Option-Shift-Right Arrow. These items are in a slider. To advance slider forward, press Shift-Command-Right Arrow. To advance slider backward, press Shift-Command-Left Arrow.
News
AdventHealth, Erik Jones expand book vending machine program with sixth school donation
DeLand elementary school becomes the fourth in Volusia County to receive the literacy resource.
News
Love in Action: One Wife’s Lifesaving Gift
For most couples, Valentine’s Day is about flowers, cards, or a special dinner. For Sherry and Dannie Turner, it’s about something much deeper. It’s about the gift of life from a wife to her husband.
News
Turning loss into love: How our ED team strengthened support for families after infant loss
Loss is never easy -- and the loss of an infant is among the most heartbreaking experiences a family can endure.
News
Care that feels like family: A team member’s experience of compassion in action
When families walk into the Emergency Department, they often arrive carrying fear, uncertainty, and hope all at once.
News
New ER strengthens access to emergency care in south Orange County
AdventHealth is expanding access to whole-person emergency care in south Orange County with the upcoming opening of the AdventHealth Sand Lake ER.
News
New test at AdventHealth Waterman offers clearer answers for people with swallowing problems
AdventHealth Waterman is now offering a test to help people with unexplained swallowing issues, heartburn or chest pain get clearer answers.
News
A heart for healing
Faith, family and representation shape Dr. John Nwosu’s approach to whole-person heart care.
News
Persistent chest pressure led DeLand man back to the ER – just in time
Active and health-conscious, Tim Whitmore trusted subtle symptoms, sought care, and survived severe heart blockages thanks to timely treatment.
Press Release
2 locations, 1 life-saving mission: AdventHealth hosts community blood drives
AdventHealth will host community blood drives at two hospital locations on Friday, February 13, from 10 am to 3 pm, inviting neighbors to come together for one shared purpose: helping save lives.
News
As the DAYTONA 500 nears, a NASCAR family reflects on a health scare that unfolded at home
One member of the NASCAR community is reflecting on a quieter moment from last season — one that unfolded not at the track, but at home in Flagler County.
Media Coverage
How health system execs can foster cultures of digital transformation
Any large and complex organization needs all of its employees to be rowing in the same direction, and that requires forward-thinking leadership strategies.
News
Yolanda Webb, MD, joins AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine at Adairsville Health Park
AdventHealth Medical Group is pleased to announce that Yolanda Webb, MD, has joined AdventHealth Medical Group Family Medicine at Adairsville Health Park.