Healing hearts and holiday hugs: Ron’s story
Patient Story
Ron Van Dam was getting ready for a holiday gathering with some of his grandkids when his wife, Barbara, reminded him of his doctor’s orders: “No heavy lifting.”
Ron, in recovery after a recent heart attack, had to take things easy to let his body heal. But while his heart was strengthening each day, it was also metaphorically breaking to know he couldn’t pick up and hold his young grandchildren at Christmas.
“Normally, I could grab three of the youngest and lift them all together,” Ron says with a laugh. “They’re always climbing all over me – and I love that."
But last year, I couldn’t lift them. And it was really tough.
Two months before Christmas, Ron had felt chest tightness and shortness of breath while driving home with Barbara after a workout with his personal trainer. Thinking he just needed some air, they stopped the car in a commercial parking lot so Ron could walk around.
That’s where he collapsed.
Friendly workers at Waterloo Brewing assisted Barbara in keeping Ron cool with water as they waited for an ambulance.
Paramedics rushed Ron to Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN), home of the Regional Cardiac Care Centre, where a blocked coronary artery was treated with a stent. Within six weeks, he had begun his cardiac rehabilitation program at WRHN’s Cardiac Rehab at the Boardwalk, strengthening his heart muscles with treadmill walks and other indoor exercises during the icy winter.
By March, he had received a clean bill of health.
Ron, who turned 65 in August, remains thankful for the care he received at WRHN @ Queen’s Blvd. (formerly St. Mary’s), in October 2024.
Soon after his heart attack, he became a monthly donor to WRHN Foundation – his way of thanking WRHN team members for saving his life, and paying it forward for others to have access to the same care he received.
Now, a year after his heart attack, Ron is more mindful of his health. He’s learned to slow down and enjoy the little things – like hugging his 10 grandkids, who range in age from 8 months to 18 years.
And this holiday season, he’ll make up for what he – and the kids – missed out on last year.
“The little ones were warned last Christmas: ‘be gentle with Opa,’ and that was hard on them too,” Barbara says.
The six-year-old said he missed being picked up by his grandfather.
While the Van Dam holiday gatherings rarely include all 10 of their grandkids under one roof, each visit is special for Ron and Barbara.
After his life-saving care at WRHN, Ron feels these gatherings grow more significant each year.
“Life is about more than rushing around and getting things done,” he says. “It’s quality time – being with the people you love."
Last Christmas, I couldn’t lift my grandkids. This year, I’ll be picking them up, hugging them at my level, and enjoying every moment.
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