Thirty years ago, Pasadena resident Rick West was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He underwent treatment for his cancer, which included several rounds of chemotherapy. Although Rick is now cancer-free, his chemotherapy caused aortic valve stenosis — a serious condition in which the aortic valve narrows over time. If left untreated, his stenosis could lead to […]

Fran Norris Scoble was first diagnosed with a heart murmur as a teenager. Years went by without any cardiac concerns. “It wasn’t serious, so I didn’t think about it very much,” she says. When she was older, Fran began annual checkups to track any changes to her heart function. At this year’s appointment, something alarming […]

Josie Hanafi has a clear preference when she needs medical care. A clinical lab scientist in our hematology department, Josie chooses to receive care at Huntington Hospital for the same reason she chooses to work here. “I love Huntington Hospital, and I trust all the doctors here,” she says. “I believe in the work we […]

Last winter, Matthias Beeguer started coughing, had body aches and found it difficult to breathe deeply. A COVID-19 test came back negative. At the time, there were wildfires in his area, so Matthias thought poor air quality might be the culprit. He continued to have symptoms for months with no answers. One day, when Matthias […]

When Mary Lynne Knighten was diagnosed with aortic stenosis — a potentially life-threatening heart condition characterized by the narrowing of the aortic valve opening — she was surprised. She exercised regularly and felt perfectly healthy. She soon began experiencing extreme fatigue and had to nap several times a day. She was often out of breath […]

As a young, lively working mom of three, Tina Gocke always considered herself a healthy person. Yes, she had occasional migraines and fatigue, but she chalked those symptoms up to a busy life. Tina’s life changed in September 2017, when she was outside playing with her kids. Suddenly she was unable to hold her water […]

At age 86, Sarah Raskin benefited from one of the latest innovations in cardiac surgery at Huntington Hospital. She had a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), which is a less invasive option for patients than open-heart surgery. “I had a history of atrial fibrillation and my health was failing,” says Sarah. “I was in need […]

Keith Jones considers himself one of the luckiest people in the world. His story began 15 years ago, as a Pasadena police officer, when the city of Pasadena provided the benefit of a full-body scan to police leadership. The scan revealed Keith had an aortic aneurysm, which is a bulge in the main artery that […]

Chris felt pressure in his chest and knew something was terribly wrong. Shortly after his arrival to our Nan and Howard Schow Emergency & Trauma Center, he lost consciousness: “I remember lying down for an x-ray…and awoke again 36 hours later,” he says. At age 32, Chris had experienced a major heart attack. “I could […]

Becky Ebershoff made being healthy a priority. Leading an active lifestyle, her blood pressure and cholesterol levels were normal. She even had a stress test to confirm her heart was working properly, before suffering a heart attack just two months later. “It never occurred to me that something like this could happen to me,” she […]