Today marks 20 years since DeGraff resident’s transplant
Sue and Floyd Stotler sit together in their DeGraff home Feb. 25, holding a heart pillow and also a Bellefontaine Examiner story relating to his heart transplant procedure 20 years ago, Feb. 2, 1999, at the Ohio State University Medical Center. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
DeGraff resident Floyd Stotler and his wife of 42 years, Sue, sat at their home last week looking through many photos of their grandchildren, who were dressed in their finest attire at school dances and also in sports uniforms for various extracurricular activities, and the proud grandparents couldn’t help but smile when describing the personalities of their loved ones.
Their hearts are filled with many special memories from the last two decades, watching their family grow to include seven grandchildren and two great- grandchildren and also taking a Caribbean cruise with their family in 2003. Mr. and Mrs. Stotler also look forward to celebrating upcoming milestones, including his 80th birthday Wednesday.
These priceless moments would not have been possible for the couple to experience together if not for a heart transplant he received exactly 20 years ago today, coincidentally during American Heart Month.
Just prior to his Feb. 2, 1999, procedure, the former Russells Point Police Department chief had been hospitalized since Jan. 10, 1999, at The Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus from complications related to cardiomyopathy. He had suffered from the heart muscle disease since 1986 when a virus had settled in his heart.
“He was as healthy as could be before that, never had a heart attack or stroke, and had always been very active. But this disease just stopped him in his tracks,” said Mrs. Stotler, who met her husband through the police department while they both were going through training there.
In early 1999, his medical team had tried injecting medication directly into his heart, but it was clear that there was nothing left to do but try for a heart transplant because his heart function had dropped to 8 percent.
“Our doctors told us not to expect him to come home without a new heart,” his wife said.
“It was an ‘iffy’ situation at that time,” Mr. Stotler said, explaining that finding a donor heart large enough to support his 6-foot 10-inch, 310-pound frame compounded the problems.
Despite the difficult time in the hospital, including the DeGraff resident’s heart stopping on one occasion, Mrs. Stotler recounted when she finally received “the call” at 11 p.m. Feb. 1, 1999, that a donor heart was available for her husband.
“Once we got ‘the call,’ we were told that we could only inform five people before heading straight to the hospital,” she said, relating that she was at home that night with her children.
“We arrived at the hospital at 1 a.m., and they had just taken him back for the procedure. While I didn’t get to talk to him, he had left me a note that said, ‘If I’m gone when you get here, know that I love you and always will.’ I have held on to that note ever since.”
Read complete story in Saturday’s Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS!