A repaired heart leads to more joy

Rick Wallace has always found joy in the simple rhythms of country life. After 40 years of working, retirement meant more time with his wife, his son and cheering his grandchildren on at countless sporting events.

At home in Coshocton, Rick’s days were filled with the peaceful routine of caring for his seven horses. He raised and showed them, and they now enjoy a slower pace of life. Twice a day, every day, Rick is out with his horses, 
tending to them and watching them roam in the fields. “They’re retired, like me,” Rick said with a smile.

On Dec. 14, 2025, everything changed.

Rick began experiencing chest pain, a pain he couldn’t ignore. “I knew I needed help,” Rick said. He chose the Genesis Coshocton Medical Center Emergency Department, a place he had toured when it first opened. “I was impressed with the facility and the people,” said Rick. “They made me feel comfortable, and that’s why I chose Genesis.”

Michael Cardone, M.D., and the emergency team quickly stabilized Rick and transferred him to Genesis Hospital.  There, Rick’s doctors discovered a 100% blockage in the anterior wall artery of his heart, a vessel known as
the “widowmaker.”

Rick underwent an emergency heart catheterization with Kinan Kassar, M.D., FACC, Fellowship-trained and Board-certified Interventional and Structural Cardiologist at the Genesis Heart & Vascular Institute.

“It was a great pleasure for the whole team to help Rick through one of his most vulnerable moments and to see 
him reclaim his life,” said Dr. Kassar. “He is proof that behind every heart attack is a person, a family and a
story worth fighting for.”
 

“I wanted to be there for my grandchildren, to watch them compete and grow. And I wanted to be with my horses, every day.”

Back to the life he loves