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992, Donald Vail Jr., on a Don in his of 90 minutes from the moment the
business trip in London, was sitting home office. ambulance is called until the moment a
on a train. Less than a mile back blocked artery is cleared.
at the station he just departed, an
IRA-planted bomb exploded. Don had a 100 percent blockage.
In September 2001, he was in the It was cleared in 24 minutes,
North Tower of the World Trade Center thanks to Harnish Chawla, MD, an
for a business meeting when he felt an independent member of the Easton
explosion. He caught the last elevator Hospital medical staff.
down and ran through the tower’s lower
level. He was on a ferry crossing the “By the time I got dressed, out the
Hudson River when he saw a plane door and to the hospital, Don was
strike the South Tower. already in recovery,” Dot says.
On Dec. 3, 2014, Don again was
at work — an early morning phone Don felt good enough that he was
conference from his home office with discharged the next day.
his team at Bank of America/Merrill
Lynch. He got off the call because he He did have a second artery cleared
wasn’t feeling well. This time, the bomb about two weeks later, which is common
was his heart. with patients with multiple blockages.
A STRONG HEART “The staff in the cath lab took great
Don’s heart has seen its share of joy care of me,” he says. “They made sure I
was comfortable and knew exactly what
and struggle. He and his brothers as was happening.”
boys lived in a foster home for a short
period of time. Then he met his wife, Don had the added benefit of being
Dot, when she was just 13. In tenth a minor celebrity. “My mom worked
grade, he dropped out of school and at Easton Hospital for 32 years, so the
joined the Navy as the Vietnam War was staff remembered me,” he says. “And
coming to an end. He returned from when my mom visited me, it was like a
service to marry Dot just days after she reunion in my room.”
graduated high school. Then came his
two kids while he worked two manual AS A SURVIVOR
labor jobs.
SURTVHIEVOR Don has made new friends and
“I wanted more,” he says. So he family in the cardiac rehabilitation
began to study electrical and mechanical program. They have helped him with
diagrams, took classes in technology nutrition, exercise and anxiety.
and soon was working on the first IBM
computer. His career in IT has now Many heart attack survivors
spanned three decades and has taken experience bouts of anxiety and
him all over the world. depression as they fear death and not
seeing family again.
THE HEART ATTACK
On the morning of his heart attack, “I would worry about losing them,”
Don got off his work call and went he says. “But the team in cardiac rehab
to lie down. He made it upstairs and
then collapsed. Dot heard him fall MAN ESCAPES DISASTERS, is great to talk with. I really look forward
and called 911. to going there, working out and meeting
Easton Emergency Squad arrived EVEN WHEN IT’S PERSONAL folks like me.”
and got right to work. Calling 911 can Don hasn’t slowed down either.
be crucial during a heart attack. Many
patients try to drive themselves to the He manages the IT infrastructure that
Photo courtesy of Easton Hospital handles billions in daily cash flow.
But his home office helps eliminate JUNE/JULY 2015 • INDULGE | 43
hospital, but time lost in treatment can the stress.
cause more damage to the heart. And he devotes considerable energy
The ambulance crew did crucial to his grandchildren. “They are one
pre-hospital work to prepare Don for of many things that make life a real
immediate care upon entering the Easton blessing,” he says. “I count those
Hospital Catheterization Lab. Most blessings every day.”
hospitals aim for the national benchmark Spoken like a true survivor.
business trip in London, was sitting home office. ambulance is called until the moment a
on a train. Less than a mile back blocked artery is cleared.
at the station he just departed, an
IRA-planted bomb exploded. Don had a 100 percent blockage.
In September 2001, he was in the It was cleared in 24 minutes,
North Tower of the World Trade Center thanks to Harnish Chawla, MD, an
for a business meeting when he felt an independent member of the Easton
explosion. He caught the last elevator Hospital medical staff.
down and ran through the tower’s lower
level. He was on a ferry crossing the “By the time I got dressed, out the
Hudson River when he saw a plane door and to the hospital, Don was
strike the South Tower. already in recovery,” Dot says.
On Dec. 3, 2014, Don again was
at work — an early morning phone Don felt good enough that he was
conference from his home office with discharged the next day.
his team at Bank of America/Merrill
Lynch. He got off the call because he He did have a second artery cleared
wasn’t feeling well. This time, the bomb about two weeks later, which is common
was his heart. with patients with multiple blockages.
A STRONG HEART “The staff in the cath lab took great
Don’s heart has seen its share of joy care of me,” he says. “They made sure I
was comfortable and knew exactly what
and struggle. He and his brothers as was happening.”
boys lived in a foster home for a short
period of time. Then he met his wife, Don had the added benefit of being
Dot, when she was just 13. In tenth a minor celebrity. “My mom worked
grade, he dropped out of school and at Easton Hospital for 32 years, so the
joined the Navy as the Vietnam War was staff remembered me,” he says. “And
coming to an end. He returned from when my mom visited me, it was like a
service to marry Dot just days after she reunion in my room.”
graduated high school. Then came his
two kids while he worked two manual AS A SURVIVOR
labor jobs.
SURTVHIEVOR Don has made new friends and
“I wanted more,” he says. So he family in the cardiac rehabilitation
began to study electrical and mechanical program. They have helped him with
diagrams, took classes in technology nutrition, exercise and anxiety.
and soon was working on the first IBM
computer. His career in IT has now Many heart attack survivors
spanned three decades and has taken experience bouts of anxiety and
him all over the world. depression as they fear death and not
seeing family again.
THE HEART ATTACK
On the morning of his heart attack, “I would worry about losing them,”
Don got off his work call and went he says. “But the team in cardiac rehab
to lie down. He made it upstairs and
then collapsed. Dot heard him fall MAN ESCAPES DISASTERS, is great to talk with. I really look forward
and called 911. to going there, working out and meeting
Easton Emergency Squad arrived EVEN WHEN IT’S PERSONAL folks like me.”
and got right to work. Calling 911 can Don hasn’t slowed down either.
be crucial during a heart attack. Many
patients try to drive themselves to the He manages the IT infrastructure that
Photo courtesy of Easton Hospital handles billions in daily cash flow.
But his home office helps eliminate JUNE/JULY 2015 • INDULGE | 43
hospital, but time lost in treatment can the stress.
cause more damage to the heart. And he devotes considerable energy
The ambulance crew did crucial to his grandchildren. “They are one
pre-hospital work to prepare Don for of many things that make life a real
immediate care upon entering the Easton blessing,” he says. “I count those
Hospital Catheterization Lab. Most blessings every day.”
hospitals aim for the national benchmark Spoken like a true survivor.
