I was scared but they made me feel so comfortable.

Mary's Story

Meet Mary, a proud grandmother who loves to cheer her grandson on at soccer games. When Mary recently collapsed with chest and arm pain, she was rushed to the hospital and had to have bypass surgery. “They took care of me perfectly. I was scared but they made me feel so comfortable, all the nurses and the doctors were wonderful.” After surgery and recovery, it was recommended that Mary join a program at the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center at Cookeville Regional.

Cardiac Rehabilitation is a three-phase rehabilitation program for patients recovering from a variety of heart problems. Nurses and exercise physiologists help monitor and educate patients, teaching them different exercise and coping techniques. Perhaps most importantly the staff and fellow patients are able to provide emotional support to patients as they recover, regain strength and improve overall health. Studies show that recovering heart patients that take part in a rehabilitation program show greater improvement in psychological health, are more physically fit and less likely to suffer angina.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Center helps hundreds of recovering heart patients every year, improving their physical and emotional health with a great support group of fellow-patients and friendly medical professionals. Yet, for many recovering heart patients at Cookeville Regional, cardiac rehab is something they need but are unable to access. The reason is simple: patients come from all corners of our Upper Cumberland community, and for many patients on a fixed or limited income, travel to the medical center for rehabilitation just is not in the budget.

You can help.

The Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation offers transportation vouchers to enable patients to access needed programs like cardiac rehabilitation, but our ability to meet those needs depends on donations from caring supporters like you.