New Heart, New Commitment

When Richard Parker began to experience heart failure a decade ago, it hit him hard.

“I couldn’t lie flat, had shortness of breath and major fluid retention,” says Richard, 56, a Canton resident who works in prototyping for Ford Motor Company.

He also had a dangerously low ejection fraction (EF) of 15%. EF is a measure of the heart’s pumping ability. According to the American Heart Association, a normal left ventricular EF ranges between 55 and 70%, and a low EF can be a sign of heart failure.

“I was shocked to get diagnosed with heart failure,” Richard says. “I didn’t have any personal or family history of cardiovascular issues. They told me it was a virus that caused it.”

Richard’s diagnosis kicked off a long healthcare journey. After being treated by two different hospitals for years, his condition progressed, and he was referred to Henry Ford Health for heart failure treatment and a heart transplant consultation. His care team included Cristina Tita, M.D., and Lindsey Aurora, M.D., physicians who specialize in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.

They encouraged Richard to quit smoking to improve his chances of becoming a transplant candidate, and he went on the list in Spring 2024.

Due to the severity of his heart failure and his kidneys beginning to fail, he stayed at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit for over 100 days before his transplant. While in the hospital, he had to lie on his back and not move much—given the intra-aortic balloon pump, a temporary mechanical circulatory support device implanted in his heart. This mechanical device is designed to help stabilize someone with heart failure and support the heart’s pumping function while waiting for a heart transplant.

One step forward, two back

Richard had his transplant in July 2024, it was a success and he was well on his way to a good recovery. Until he got a case of shingles.

This infection from the chickenpox virus causes a painful rash and is more common in people who are 50 or older as well as those with a compromised immune system, including people who receive a transplant.

“They actually gave me my first shingles vaccine shot before my transplant but didn’t have time for the second one before my new heart was ready,” Richard says.

Shingles completely wiped him out, and Richard felt weak and had to use a cane and walker. He was referred to Henry Ford Health’s physical rehabilitation program to build up his strength and complete his transplant recovery, before starting cardiac rehabilitation at Henry Ford Cardiac Rehabilitation – Livonia.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a closely monitored exercise program for people who have left the hospital after a heart attack, heart procedure or heart failure. Participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program after a qualifying event is supported by the strongest possible level of evidence. Benefits include significant reductions in cardiovascular complications as well as improvements in quality of life.

Slow and steady progress

When Richard arrived for orientation on his first cardiac rehabilitation day, his team completed an assessment to determine the most appropriate exercises. His muscle mass was almost completely gone from his long hospital stay, so they started him off on the treadmill and the bike at the lowest resistance level.

“It was frustrating at first, because I wanted to get better,” Richard says. “I’m a strong-willed person, but they told me I needed to slow down and focus on making consistent progress. It’s not just a job for them. They really care, and they didn’t want me to push too hard and hurt myself.”

Richard began going to cardiac rehabilitation for three 45-minute sessions per week. When he started, his lower body was very weak, to the point where he would have to grab something to lift himself out of a chair. But by the end of his second week, Richard noticed a big difference in his energy and started to feel stronger. He also asked his team for exercises he could do at home.

Two months later, he was able to walk without a cane.

Support at every step

Richard’s family has been his support system throughout his healthcare journey.

“With an experience like this, you get closer to your family,” Richard says. “Seeing the worry in their faces, it was tough. Eighteen family members visited me while I was in the hospital, and three of them are nurses who would come to see me after working 12-hour shifts. My daughter also bought me an iPad Pro so I could FaceTime everyone.”

Now that he’s more mobile, Richard can once again watch his grandson at football practices—where he also does laps around the track—and attend games.

The extra laps around the track are just one way that Richard is committing to getting a little better each day. Even before his transplant, and as his health worsened, Richard began making significant lifestyle changes, such as giving up red meat.

“I’ve changed all of my habits,” Richard says. “At one point, I was 260 pounds, although some of that was fluid weight from the retention. Now, I’ve lost almost 70 pounds.”

He is also looking forward to getting back to his hobbies, including car shows.

“I’m an old car buff and used to travel to attend them until my heart failure got worse,” Richard says.

As he returns to focusing on family and living his life to the fullest, he credits his Henry Ford Health team. If he had to do it all over, he would choose them again.

“There’s a lot of compassion in that place,” he says. “They like what they do, they know your name. They ask about my grandson’s games, about his twin sister’s cheerleading. When you go in there, it’s positive energy. Some patients there think they can’t do it, but I’ve seen them sit down to meet with them, and provide support.

“When I was in the hospital for so long, that was me. What kept me sane during that time was asking questions. I wanted to know everything, and they didn’t mind me asking. Throughout my transplant and cardiac rehab, they didn’t give up on me, and I’m grateful that I ended up with a team that cared about me living or dying. Through their help and the grace of God, I’m getting back up and working to live a longer life.”