One day in December 2021, Benjamin Henderson, then 56 years old, couldn’t catch his breath for hours. Benjamin had searing pain, and he called an ambulance that took him to the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Morningside. This is how a successful journey to better heart health began for Benjamin, who received life-saving surgery for a pulmonary embolism—a clot in his lung—from Omar Lattouf, MD, PhD, a renowned cardiovascular surgeon. Benjamin’s story highlights many of the heart health risks faced by African Americans, who are 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure and 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Benjamin expressed deep gratitude to Dr. Lattouf and the team at Mount Sinai Morningside. “I'm lucky. I feel like a miracle,” he says. Since his surgery he says he has been determined to “do what’s right for me and my body.“ He has lost 40 pounds and exercises regularly.
Benjamin hopes his story will inspire people to make healthy lifestyle changes and to get vaccinated against COVID-19. “I just want to live” he says. “I’ve got a second chance, and I want to take advantage of it.”
For more information:
Mount Sinai Morningside Heart Surgery: [ Ссылка ]
Dr. Omar Lattouf Profile: [ Ссылка ]
Article Featuring Benjamin Henderson: [ Ссылка ]
