A Gift From The Heart

DANBURY — For Colleen Joyce, preparation for her fourth marathon took on new meaning when her Redding neighbor and friend Philip Poirier had a fatal heart attack while out running last June. When she crossed the finish line of the New York City marathon in November 2004, her greatest sense of satisfaction was in knowing the race would create a lasting memorial to honor her friend’s loving and active approach to his life, family, and work.

With the support of neighbors and friends, Ms Joyce raised more than $11,000 in memorial sponsorships that day, which will be used to benefit patients served by the Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital.

 Phil Poirier, 50, a devoted husband and father of two daughters, was an avid cyclist, runner, skier, and snowshoer, who enjoyed exercising outdoors in all kinds of weather.

 “Even on cold winter evenings, I would see Phil jogging in the snow and loving it. Phil was an inspiration to me. As I trained for the marathon, I thought of Phil and what I could do in his memory,” Ms Joyce said.

This donation comes to Danbury Hospital at a time full of exciting developments in cardiac care at the facility. The race against heart disease quickened last July, when the Connecticut Office of Health Care Access granted the hospital a Certificate of Need to allow the establishment of a new angioplasty and open-heart surgery program to serve communities in western Connecticut and nearby New York.

The approval followed almost two years of statewide debate regarding limited access to advanced cardiac care and the hospital’s highly public campaign to gain support for its plans. Community backing for the plans resulted in more than 30,000 signatures and letters of support and the passionate testimony of more than 150 business leaders, legislators, patients, and family members desiring improved access to life-saving care for heart attacks and other forms of cardiovascular disease.

“A donation in memory of Phil was a timely and fitting way to honor him and to ensure that others with heart disease will benefit from more advanced services that will be available in our area when we need them most,” Ms Joyce said.

Mr Poirier’s wife, Carol, agreed. “My family and I are very touched by this generous and loving tribute. My husband would be very grateful, and we are thankful for the support of so many people, especially our neighbors and friends,” she said.

Implementation for Danbury Hospital’s advanced cardiac services began in 2004, with the establishment of the Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital. According to Andrew Keller, MD, chief of cardiology and medical executive, Cardiovascular Service Line, the first open heart surgery is expected to be performed at Danbury Hospital in early 2005 with angioplasty services to begin later this year.

For information about ways to give to the Regional Heart and Vascular Center at Danbury Hospital. call the Danbury Hospital Development Fund at 797-7227 or visit on line at www.danburyhospital.org/devfund .