In 1979 at the age of 37, John Boggess experienced excruciating chest pain while watching a Sunday football game. Alarmed, he went to the emergency department in his local area. As the care team was connecting the electrocardiogram electrodes to his chest, John had a heart attack on the table and fell unconscious.

Waking Up From a Near-Death Experience

He woke up three days later and was immediately greeted by the cardiovascular surgeon who had rendered his lifesaving care. This doctor happened to be in the emergency department doing paperwork at the time of John’s sudden heart attack when the care team rushed into his office asking for his help.

John says, “When I woke up, the doctor looked at me and said, ‘Did you see the light?’ I replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘That’s odd because most patients have said they saw a light — you were dead, John. I brought you back to life.'”

Reimagining His Life

Shocked, John committed to decreasing his stress since he also had a genetic predisposition for heart disease. He eventually vacated his esteemed, yet high-stress career as an air traffic controller — working in what was, at the time, the busiest tower in the world.

Yet, despite his efforts, John experienced two more heart attacks, two triple bypasses and, ultimately, received a lifesaving heart transplant.

In 2010, after the heart transplant, John spent some time in a hospital cardiac rehab program and then went on to volunteer for that program. After that program shut down, he decided he wanted to continue his volunteerism and joined WakeMed in 2017.

Volunteering at WakeMed

He has been a regular volunteer every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, serving patient needs for two hours per day ever since.

John begins each shift in Cardiac Rehab by sanitizing and setting up the therapeutic space — under the supervision of Molly diVincenzo, MS, ACSM RCEP, the Cardiac Rehab Exercise Specialist and Program Director. On Mondays, he will finish up in Mended Hearts. On Wednesdays and Fridays, if needed, he will visit patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD). This device is a pump for patients who have reached end-stage heart failure.

John explains, “My main job is to talk to the patients, so the first thing I do when I meet new patients is ask, ‘What are you in for?’ Many times, they are down, and I will tell them my story to cheer them up and give them hope. I might tease them a little if they’ve only had a non-invasive procedure, exclaiming, ‘You don’t even have scars. It’s going to be alright.'”

Giving Back to Mended Hearts

Each Monday afternoon, John enjoys helping patients in Mended Hearts — a national and community based non-profit organization offering the gift of hope — to patients with heart disease and their families — for over 71 years. Founded in 1951 by cardiovascular surgeon, Dr. Dwight Harken and four of his heart patients in Boston, Massachusetts, it is the largest cardiovascular support group in the world.

Mended Hearts of the Triangle, Chapter 394, visits patients at WakeMed and has been in conception since 2013. They have visited many heart patients and their families.

Hazel Covington, RN, the Cardiovascular Educator who oversees Mended Hearts at WakeMed, says, “Our WakeMed Volunteer Services Department has provided for Mended Hearts wonderful volunteers, including John Boggess. John, like our other Mended Hearts volunteers in the past, has chosen to give back by taking the time to visit our heart patients and families. He shares what he has experienced in his journey as a heart transplant patient as well as the other heart procedures he has gone through. This supports and encourages patients through their heart experience. The mission statement of Mended Hearts is, ‘It is great to be alive and help others.’ This mission is truly exemplified by the volunteers. We are grateful and thankful.”

Seeing Patients with LVADs

John is also very appreciated for the work he does for patients with LVADs.

According to Libby Guerrero, RN, the Rehab Program Coordinator for these patients, John’s insight is invaluable.

“John Boggess has been a willing and caring support for our LVAD patients on 2C since last November. He comes to 2C after volunteering in Cardiac Rehab to visit any LVAD patients we have on the unit — often seeing the same patients several times as their length of stay averages 19 days. His presence, experience and encouragement provide peer support, which is a need staff can’t suffice.”

The inpatient stay on 2C is the start of Cardiac Rehab for many patients with an LVAD and a continuation of Cardiac Rehab for others. Peer/group support is such an essential component.

WakeMed is a shared-care site for LVAD care. While WakeMed providers do not implant LVADs, providers do offer care services for patients with LVADs — predominantly in Rehab, Emergency Services and Electrophysiology/Cardiology. Additionally, many patients come weekly to WakeMed for labs and routinely see WakeMed Primary Care, Orthopaedics and Urology specialists.

Potentially after Cardiac Rehab, these patients may join the WakeMed maintenance health and wellness program, Safeway to Fitness. The volunteer interaction comes in once they enter the Rehab phases of care.

John explains, “I really enjoy talking to the patients because they will often withhold questions from the care team if they think it is an emotional question, but they will talk to me because I’ve been through it, and they feel I can give them more insight on what to expect from personal experience. I really enjoy it, and I’ve made a lot of friends. Often, after they talk to me, they tell me they feel better. It makes my day.”

Working in His Spare Time

When John isn’t volunteering at WakeMed, he is ushering at the PNC Arena and Live Nation. Similar to the work he does at WakeMed, his job is mostly about establishing relationships, especially with season ticket holders.

Now, at 81 years old with 500 hours of volunteerism under his belt as of mid-February 2023, John shares, “I love getting to know people. WakeMed gives me the chance to meet people who’ve been through a lot of heart issues. I understand what they are going through. It’s nice to make the connection and make a difference in someone else’s life.”

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About WakeMed Cardiac Rehab

WakeMed Cardiac Rehab offers a safe, monitored environment where you can gain the strength, confidence, camaraderie and nutritional know-how you need to live a heart-healthy life.

The WakeMed Cardiac Rehab specialists welcome patients who have or had:

• A recent heart attack
• Cardiac bypass surgery
• Angioplasty or stent placement
• Valve repair or replacement surgery
• A heart transplant
• Stable angina
• Heart failure

Patients with ventricular assist devices also benefit from our program.

About the WakeMed Volunteer Program

The Volunteer Services department supports placements at WakeMed Raleigh Campus, Cary Hospital, North Hospital and other WakeMed facilities throughout Wake and Johnston Counties.

Their countless hours of service continue to help make WakeMed a preferred provider of healthcare services in Wake County.