My doctors think it was probably a virus of some kind. I’d always been a very active guy. But in a matter of weeks, I went from playing ice hockey at a rink near my house to being unable to take a few steps without gasping for air. My heart was failing. At first, the plan was for me to live at the hospital until I could get a heart transplant. But one day, after about three months, the doctors came in and told me, basically, that I might not last the weekend. Luckily, they were able to implant an LVAD, which is basically a back-up pump for my heart (Abbott’s HeartMate 3 Left Ventricular Assist Device*). Two days after that surgery, I was able to walk from the ICU to my recovery room. I went home two weeks later. And three months after that, I was out cutting my grass. I’ve been able to live an amazing life. I’ve been able to do quite a bit… ride a bike, go camping… play golf. And I can work. I’m a guitar player and a photographer. I’m living a positive, productive life. Everybody has ...