Area man thanks doctors who made long life possible By Bethany J.

Royer Piqua Daily Call Originally published July 2011 DAYTON - About 0 !a"ily "e"bers gathered at the Bu#$horn Ta%ern last "onth to #elebrate not only Ne&ton To&nship resident' Na%y %et and !or"er !ar"er (arion Ada"s) **th birthday' but to also sho& their gratitude to the t&o "en responsible !or getting hi" to his eighth de#ade. Those "en &ere do#tors' Ri#hard De+all' &ho &as in attendan#e !or the #elebration along &ith his &i!e' Diane' and Ben,a"in -#huster' &ell-$no&n philanthropist in the (ia"i .alley &ho is o!ten re!erred to as the !ather o! #ardiology. /t &as 0 years ago today that the t&o do#tors and the lo#al %et had last seen ea#h other' brought together under #ir#u"stan#es no one li$es to !ind the"sel%es in but one that Ada"s is grate!ul to ha%e e1perien#ed. 2spe#ially &hen ha%ing "et su#h indi%iduals not only sa%ed his li!e' but also e1tended it. 34e didn)t used to be this !riendly'3 Ada"s said about -#huster &ith a goodnatured #hu#$le as the do#tors &ere introdu#ed' and in so"e #ases' re-introdu#ed' to (arion)s &i!e' 5ern' and their si1 #hildren. 5i%e sons and one daughter &ho arri%ed &ith their spouses' their #hildren and "ultiple grand#hildren and great-grand#hildren !or the party. 34e ne%er thought / &ould li%e this long' he told "e' )you got 16 years') it)s been 0' still going.3 3+e are delighted and thrilled to see you'3 -#huster said to his patient !ro" so long ago and delighted to be a part o! a rather unusual #elebration. +hile he)d o##asionally run into people &ho &ould as$ i! he re#alled operating on the"' this &as the

!irst ti"e he had sat do&n !or a "eal &ith an entire !a"ily. 3And you ha%e a &onder!ul !a"ily to sho& !or all these years.3 3And this is the gentle"an &ho had "y heart in his hands'3 (arion said as he introdu#ed De+all to those in attendan#e. De+all is $no&n as being hal! o! a t&o"e"ber tea" !or in%enting the De+all-7illehei heart-lung "a#hine ba#$ in the early 1860s that pro%ided a brea$-through in #ardia# surgery !or the ti"e. To better understand &hy these three indi%iduals had #o"e together in June a!ter so "any years one "ust tra%el all the &ay ba#$ to 189:' &hen Ada"s !irst !elt the distin#t pain in his #hest. /t &as a sign that so"ething &as %ery &rong and &hat had begun the day be!ore as a sti!!ening in his !ingers' &here he #ould not properly grip the steering &heel o! his tra#tor' had e1tended into a pain in his side. By si1 o)#lo#$ that e%ening' as he sat !or dinner' Ada"s ate little and e%entually !ound hi"sel! unable to s&allo&' the pain ha%ing be#o"e so bad that he &as !or#ed to tell his &i!e that he needed to get to the hospital. 4e said nothing else to the "atter' only that ti"e &as o! the essen#e. 3/t hurt so bad / didn)t thin$ /)d "a$e it'3 Ada"s said in regards to the a"ount o! pain he &as in and ho& 5ern too$ hi" to Dett"er 4ospital in Troy' a lo#al hospital at the ti"e' &here do#tors &ere #ertain he &ould not li%e to see the !ollo&ing "orning. This &ould not be the !irst ti"e that Ada"s has beaten the odds. As a +orld +ar // Na%y %et he &as present at Nor"andy ;D-Day< and !our di!!erent bea#hes. =ertainly a heart issue &as not about to ta$e this !or"er Na%y radio operator out o! the pi#ture. 2%en &ith an e1tensi%e stay in the hospital &here Ada"s had his &i!e #he#$ out e%ery boo$

she #ould !ind at the lo#al library #on#erning the heart to study &hat &as &rong and &hat #ould possibly be done about it. 3/ read and read and read' that)s all / had to do'3 (arion said. At the ti"e' t&o o! Ada"s) sons' >aul and (ar%in' &ere ser%ing in the Na%y in .ietna"' &hi#h "eant they heard o! their !ather)s illness through short' delayed letters !ro" their "other. The !irst to arri%e stated 3Daddy)s o$ay' e%erything &ent &ell'3 &hi#h le!t both young "en #on!used. ?ntil t&o &ee$s later &hen they re#ei%ed &hat should ha%e been the !irst letter that read' 3Daddy had a heart atta#$' is in the hospital.3 3During the &ar'3 Ada"s e1plained' as his !a"ily and the do#tors #ongregated at the Bu#$horn Ta%ern that -aturday a!ternoon in June' 3the hardest thing !or an indi%idual to do &as &rite a letter ho"e. +e &ere #ensored so hea%ily' &e #ouldn)t e%en tell &hat day &e &ere &riting the letter.3 Ada"s) son (ar%in &ent on to e1plain ho& his grand"other &ould al&ays be as$ing &here (arion &as and ho& his !ather &or$ed around it. 34e &ould say he bought a pair o! shoes' they &ere a si@e 8 and / paid A2 !or the"'3 (ar%in said. 3-o she)d get a "ap and go 8 longitude and 2 latitude.3 3That)s ho& &e did that'3 Ada"s agreed. 3-he al&ays $ne& &here / &as.3 3That)s #le%er ho& you did that'3 said -#huster be!ore 5ern spo$e on ho& the hospital $ept her husband !or 0 days and yet' his #ondition ulti"ately !ailed to i"pro%e. 3/ told "y &i!e i! / #ould get out o! this #hair and &al$ out o! this hospital' /)d be happy' but / #ouldn)t'3 Ada"s said a!ter a Dett"er do#tor told hi" the only &ay he)d get out o! the hospital is i! he &al$ed out' &hi#h he e%entually did.

4o&e%er' rather than gaining strength o%er ti"e' Ada"s #ontinued to get &ea$er and e%entually #ould barely &al$. /t &as about this ti"e that he heard o! a &ell-respe#ted #ardiologist in Dayton and reBuested his !a"ily do#tor send hi" in the spe#ialist)s dire#tion. 3)You should go see Dr. -#huster' he)ll $no& &hat your proble" is')3 Ada"s) do#tor had said in agree"ent a##ording to the Ne&ton !ar"er &ho &as desperate !or ans&ers' and &as gi%en an appoint"ent &ith the #ardiologist. =ertain he #ould helpC Ada"s "et &ith Dr. -#huster' #urrently o! the Dayton 4eart 4ospital' three &ee$s later. Originally an orphan !ro" +is#onsin' -#huster li$e Ada"s' has a history in the "ilitary' ha%ing ser%ed in the ?nited -tates Ar"y be!ore obtaining his "edi#al degree at +is#onsin ?ni%ersity (edi#al -#hool. /t &asn)t until he &ent to intern in a =in#innati hospital that he "et his !uture &i!e' (arian. The t&o &ent on to ha%e three daughters' si1 grand#hildren' and be#a"e a#ti%e philanthropists to the area arts progra"s &ith the e%entual de%elop"ent o! the -#huster =enter. /t &as all those years ago that -#huster !irst "et &ith Ada"s and had his nurse put hi" through a tread"ill test. +hen -#huster returned to #he#$ on the results o! the test' he &as alar"ed by &hat he sa& in his patient and as$ed the nurse ho& !ar she had hi" run. 3T&o steps'3 she had ans&ered. 3You #ould ha%e heard a pin drop a "ile a&ay it &as so Buiet'3 Ada"s said o%er this in!or"ation and ho& -#huster e1plained Ada"s needed surgery that spring o! )96 or he &ouldn)t li%e to see the !all.

3You e1plained to she and / that / had to ha%e surgery'3 (arion said to -#huster at the Bu#$horn #elebration' and ho& 5ern had as$ed o! the do#tor &hat &as the guaranteeD A Buestion anyone &ould ha%e as$ed and that e%en no& "a$es -#huster s"ile and #hu#$le in $no&ing. 3And that &as the sa"e response' a $ind o! #hu#$le'3 Ada"s said &ith a &ag o! his !inger and in li$e&ise $no&ing. 3And / $ne& / had to ha%e it.3 Ada"s &as only 62 years old at the ti"e and &hile the pro#edure he &as about to go through &asn)t ne&' ;At the ti"e o! Ada"s hospitali@ation' De+all had been per!or"ing up to 10 pro#edures a day< it &as still ris$y. One that e%en a!ter ha%ing re#ently a#Buired his "edi#al re#ords' that)s he read through se%eral ti"es' Ada"s is still a little unsure o! &hat they didE A double #oronary artery bypass gra!t' &ith an aorti# saphenous ,u"p gra!t to the obtuse "arginal / and obtuse "arginal // bran#hes o! the #ir#u"!le1 plus in!ar#te#to"y o! the posterior le!t %entri#le. /n short' Ada"s &as su!!ering !ro" #oronary disease and had an aneurys" o! the le!t %entri#ular' and &ould need open heart surgery during a ti"e &hen the sur%i%al rate &as rather gri" and the a##u"ulati%e years a!ter&ard short. 3/t &as a little unusual that &e had to ta$e out the ba#$ &all o! his heart #ause it had all turned to s#ar'3 De+all e1plained about the operation during the June birthday party. 3/t &as li$e a splint' the good "us#les &ere $ept !ro" &or$ing' so to re"o%e that seg"ent ga%e the re"aining "us#les a "u#h better opportunity to !un#tion &ell.3 Be!ore the pro#edure began De+all &anted to "eet &ith his patient' a !irst i"pression that too$ the Ne&ton To&nship resident by surprise.

34e &as short &ith pudgy !ingers'3 Ada"s said in regards to De+all' originally !ro" (innesota and no& o! Fettering. De+all' li$e Ada"s and -#huster' &as a Na%y dra!tee in +orld +ar //' and obtained his degree at the ?ni%ersity O! (innesota (edi#al -#hool. +ith a bit o! a $na#$ !or &or$ing &ith his hands' De+all is $no&n !or his #onstru#tion o! a bubble o1ygenator that aerates blood. The de%i#e &as !irst tested on dogs be!ore hu"ans. 3/! / understand it right the reason there &asn)t "ore open heart surgery is be#ause you had to o1ygenate the blood to the brain' be#ause you had no "a#hine that #ould do that'3 (arion said to De+all about his in%ention o! the bubble "a#hine. 3+e had to "a$e the tools to &or$'3 De+all replied as Ada"s #ontinued on their !irst introdu#tion. 3/ didn)t $no& hi" until he &al$ed up to "y roo" the night be!ore the surgery'3 Ada"s said and upon "eeting the "an &ho &ould ha%e his li!e in his hands he said to the surgeon' 3)Do "e a good ,ob) and he did. 4e too$ #are o! "e' he !i1ed "e up.3 On July 1' 1896' at 0900 hours' Ada"s &ent under the $ni!e at Fettering (e"orial 4ospital and &ould spend the ne1t t&o &ee$s in /=?. As Ada"s e1plained' De+all &ould re"o%e so"e si1 #enti"eters' or 2* per#ent' o! the le!t %entri#le a!ter !inding a plaBue build-up and s#ar tissue &hi#h &as li"iting the !un#tionality o! his heart. 3/t &as only doing you har"' so it had to go'3 De+all said about the pro#edure upon &hi#h Ada"s) eldest son' (ar%in replied' 3And &e than$ you.3 3(y ba#$ hurt !or "onths'3 Ada"s said o%er the surgery that in%ariably sa%ed his li!e but' un!ortunately' did not gi%e hi" ba#$ his li%elihood. The re"o%al o! the %entri#ular resulted in a de#rease o! the pu"p o! his heart.

32ssentially it de#reased the %olu"e but "ade it "ore e!!i#ient'3 De+all e1plained on the li"it o! the heart)s !un#tion but that the diseased portion 3had to go.3 3/n )9: / ne%er &ent ba#$ to !ar"ing'3 (arion said about the loss o! his ability to &or$ a!ter his heart atta#$ and the surgery that !ollo&ed a year later that he so desperately needed in order to sur%i%e. The li"its o! his heart "eant he #ould no longer !ar" as he &as #onsidered per"anently disabled' a #onsiderable loss !or so"eone &ith 1*0 a#res and &here the Ada"s !a"ily gre& to"atoes' toba##o' &heat' #orn' soybeans and raised #hi#$ens' hogs and dairy #o&s. 7i$e&ise' he &as told to en,oy only eight to potentially 16 years o! the good li!e. Three-plus de#ades later' Ada"s is still going strong and has a !riendly' deter"ined attitude to "at#h. 4e &ears a de!ibrillator and pa#e"a$er that !eeds in!or"ation to a "onitor on his night-stand ba#$ to =ali!ornia. They &ill e%en #all 811 !or hi" i! ne#essary. To say his e1perien#e o%er the 0-plus years he ne%er e1pe#ted to ha%e has #hanged his and his !a"ily)s li!e is an understate"ent. Both he and 5ern ha%e donated their bodies to +right -tate ?ni%ersity. 3+e thin$ &e #an still help so"ebody'3 Ada"s said. 3Good !or youH3 De+all replied. 3+e #arry a #ard and phone nu"ber' they &ill #all +right -tate and they)ll #o"e pi#$ us up' do &hat is ne#essary'3 Ada"s #ontinued be!ore his #hildren' tre"endously and understandably a!!e#ted by their !ather)s near-death e1perien#e' too$ turns during the birthday #elebration to than$ the do#tors in attendan#e.

3/ !eel it is %ery i"portant to be here today'3 Ann Ada"s' (arion and 5ern)s only daughter and "other o! three' said as she &ent on to e1plain ho& her !ather had spo$en Buite o!ten about getting in tou#h &ith De+all and -#huster and &anted to e1press her o&n gratitude. 3Dr. -#huster had the brains to !igure out &hat &as &rong. Dr. De+all &as blessed &ith the ability to !i1 it.3 Ann &ent on to gi%e her than$s in the do#tors gi%ing the Ada"s !a"ily the opportunity to share the last 0 years &ith their dad' grand!ather and e%en greatgrand!ather' 3=ause those are years &e &ouldn)t ha%e had i! &e hadn)t you in our li%es. There)s a reason !or e%erything and he &asn)t !inished &ith his li!e yet'3 she said. 3+e as a !a"ily ha%e been %ery blessed.3 2ldest son' >aul' also too$ a "o"ent to spea$' introdu#ing his &i!e 7inda and e1plaining to the do#tors they)%e three sons and !our grand$ids and that than$s to De+all and -#huster' 3They all $no& their granddad.3 >aul &as !ollo&ed by se#ond son' Fenny' 3/ #an)t e1plain "y gratitude to&ards you t&o gentle"an'3 and &ent on to e1plain ho& he)d been told his !ather had eight years to li%e and &as than$!ul De+all and -#huster ga%e the" so "any "ore. -on (ar%in also introdu#ed his !a"ily and than$ed both the do#tors in attendan#e' 3/ thin$ one o! the greatest days &as &hen they #a"e out and said the operation &as su##ess!ul. At the ti"e the su##ess rates !or that $ind o! surgery &asn)t %ery good. +e)%e pro%ed that su##ess rate to be all &rong.3 -on nu"ber !our' +ill' too$ to the !loor to also spea$ o! his &i!e and #hildren and than$ the do#tors' 3/ &ant to than$ you' too. / &as real young &hen Dad had a heart

atta#$. +e didn)t e%en $no& dad &as si#$. / appre#iate &hat you did in your li!e' to edu#ate yoursel!' to sa%e "y !ather)s li!e. / appre#iate it. Than$ you.3 7ast #hild and son' Joe also spo$e' e1plaining that at the ti"e o! his !ather)s heart atta#$ he &as too young to understand the e1tent o! the issue and that during his !ather)s surgery he &as sent on a #a"ping trip. 3(o" didn)t &ant to ha%e to deal &ith "e'3 Joe Ada"s ,o$ed. 3-he ga%e "e si1 pairs o! (ar%in)s under&ear and said' )see you later.)3 4e &as also at an age &here he #ould not understand ho& the !a"ily)s &orld &ould ha%e #hanged i! not !or the t&o do#tors in attendan#e. 3+hat / do re"e"ber' / re"e"ber Buite &ell'3 Joe said &ith a good-hu"ored but poignant s"ile. 3/s that &e got rid o! the #o&s and Dad bought a !ishing pole' i! it &eren)t !or you gentle"en' &e)d probably still be "il$ing #o&s. Than$ you' again.3 Dr. De+all also too$ the opportunity to spea$ on ho& pleased and honored he &as to be at the party. 3/ o!ten loo$ ba#$ and (arion is a per!e#t e1a"ple o! &hy / had a %ery #o"!ortable' happy #areer in surgery'3 De+all said' and spo$e o! the ho& %ery grati!ying it &as to $no& he &as able to be a part o! gi%ing Ada"s another 0 years o! li!e. De+all had #o"e to Dayton !ro" =hi#ago' &here he)d been !or !our years' in 1800' and sa& an opportunity and need !or a heart surgery progra" in the area. 3You are ta$ing a group o! people and adding years to their li%es'3 De+all said. 3And / &ish (arion another 6 years.3 -#huster also spo$e to e%eryone on his tra%els !ro" +is#onsin to start a heart surgery progra"' 3/ had no idea / &ould #o"e to Ohio' and it &as really ,ust the

beginning o! so"e o! the happiest years o! "y li!e be#ause / &as doing &or$ that / lo%ed.3 3/ thin$ &hat this little "eeting has done is #e"ented that happiness e%en "ore' / thin$ &hat &e put into our &or$ &e get "ore in return i! you are really ha%e passion about it. / than$ you all !or the pri%ilege o! being here and than$ you !or being able to see the !ruits o! our labor. / than$ you all.3 Through all these years this &as the "o"ent that has al&ays been on (arion Ada"s) "ind' to gi%e re#ognition to the "en &ho sa%ed his li!e. The June birthday #elebration allo&ed hi" a #han#e to do ,ust that' re#ogni@e the t&o do#tors that not only sa%ed his li!e but ga%e hi" an e1tended lease &ith his !a"ily. That)s the best gi!t o! all !or a "an so truly blessed. As e%ident by those in attendan#e that -aturday a!ternoon &here an angel !ood #a$e &as presented be!ore the Na%y %et' !ar"er' !ather o! si1 and grand!ather o! do@ens' &ith a be%y o! #andles and a happy #horus o! singing. 37et "e rest a little'3 Ada"s said &ith a s"ile be!ore he pro#eeded to blo& out the #andles. 34e #an still blo&H3 5ern laughed. Be!ore the day #losed on a #elebration o! a birthday and a !a"ily than$!ul' (ar%in Ada"s stood and said to the do#tors that sa%ed his !ather)s li!e 0 years ago today' 3/ do belie%e' on this !a"ily tree' there is a bran#h !or the t&o o! you.3