Open Heart Surgery Patients

Vanessa Nunes
New Bedford, Mass.

When Vanessa Nunes needed heart surgery, she found family all around her.

Her eight children, 11 grandchildren and brothers and sisters were all able to be nearby. But she also discovered a new "family" — the heart team at Southcoast Hospitals.

"Every day, the nurses kept coming in, the doctors, the anesthesiologist. I know them by their names. I saw strange faces and they didn't make me feel like a stranger. I've been treated for heart disease in Boston and I was there for four or five days and never met my doctor.

"At Southcoast, I know they had other patients, but it seemed like the whole team was there just for me."

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Photos by Corinna Raznikov.