Forty-three-year-old Michael walked into the George Washington University Hospital Emergency Room complaining of chest pain. The Washington D.C. handyman had no health insurance but was not eligible for any financial assistance programs.
Shonda
Twenty-six year old Shonda Smith of Lawrenceville, Georgia has cardiomyopathy. Her surgery replaced her previous ICD (Implantable cardiac defibrillator) otherwise known as a pacemaker. Her surgeon Dr. Steven Prater is the Medical Director of electrophysiology labs at Saint Joseph’s. Shonda’s surgery costs were covered by The Larry King Cardiac Foundation and Medtronic’s generous donation.