If They Can Be Here, I Can Be Here
- Cynthia Malone
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Those of you that were there still tell the same story every time we talk about the last CARDIAC Car Show held in the Big Lots parking lot. In honor of the founder of Chip’n Away at Heart Disease and the red wolverine he called his “red dawg”— in its final hoorah, November 2014.
Weather Report: CARDIAC Car Show – November 1, 2014
The first Saturday of November 2014 brought unseasonably cold weather to Warner Robins, Georgia. According to historical data, the high temperature reached approximately 57°F, while the low dipped to around 36°F. Though the skies were mostly clear, the chill in the air was unmistakable especially for those standing outside for hours.
Many attendees remember how cold it was that day. Volunteers layered up, drivers huddled near their vehicles, and his discomfort was visible. Chip sat trembling with the microphone in his hand. He was asked several times to sit inside his truck to warm up, but he refused.
That bitter cold Saturday, Chip was visibly shaking and me asking him to take a break didn’t make any difference. His final response to me was: “If they can be here, I can be here.”
He had undergone a heart transplant in November 2010. In less than three years later, in February 2013, a tricuspid valve surgery was necessary in his new heart. He was taking immunosuppressants and other medications (thirty-two pills a day) for life. And still, he showed up.
What do I mean by “for life?” After a heart transplant, the body’s immune system sees the new heart as foreign and may try to reject it. The immune system is made up of a network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to protect the body from harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. And yes, they will come together to “fight” the new organ. That’s why immunosuppressants are essential to
prevent rejection by weakening the
immune response. Make sense?
That moment didn’t just mark a day. It marked the continuance of the CARDIAC Car Show and why we keep showing up.
To Your Health, Cynthia Malone
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