Gail was told there was no hope for her failing heart
At UF Health, she found a problem-solver in Dr. Thomas Beaver who was up to the challenge.
Gail Morrell has known that her heart was failing since 1998. For years, she managed the condition without any serious problems, until she suffered a heart attack in 2014. She was given little to no hope, until she was sent to UF Health.
Here, Gail found a team of problem solvers led by Dr. Thomas Beaver, a heart surgeon and chief of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, and Dr. Juan Aranda, a cardiologist and heart failure specialist. They knew that Gail’s heart was failing, but she wasn’t a candidate for a transplant.
"I knew I was in good hands with those Gators all around me," Gail said.
As problem-solvers, the two devised a solution to fix her heart. Dr. Beaver implanted a left ventricular assist device, or LVAD, which is a device that helps the heart push blood to the rest of the body, and the problem was solved. Gail is forever grateful to the heart care team at UF Health for not only saving her life, but helping her get back to what she loves. She is now able to watch her grandchildren grow, cook for her family and enjoy her favorite pastime — reading.
