Glendale Memorial Hospital crowns ‘Kings and Queens’ of cardiac health
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Five people who suffered major heart problems but bounced back and worked to set an example for others were crowned “Kings and Queens of Hearts” at Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital on Thursday.
For the 20th straight year, the hospital recognized a handful of patients who nursed themselves back to health at the facility’s cardiac fitness center and managed to stay healthy.
“The real value of this program is it turns everybody into an emissary, that there’s hope,” said Jack Ivie, the hospital’s president, at the event.
The cardiac fitness center was riddled with decorations for the coronation as a senior king and queen were crowned, as well as a junior king and queen and an honorable “Young at Heart” mention.
Lourdes McKim was named junior queen and has been attending the cardiac fitness center since 2013 after an angioplasty. She approached the podium wearing a tiara and thanked the staff, as well as those who were exercising right next to her.
“It’s very seldom we reach important and meaningful goals and accomplishments by ourselves,” she said. “Fellow gym members, thank you for your friendship and cheering me on.”
Michelle Galanti, manager of the fitness center, touched upon how close some of the gym patrons become.
She brought up the example of Allan Soken, this year’s junior king, who formed a group of friends with a morning exercise class and would go grab coffee with them after their workout. Soken has also been using the fitness center since 2013.
This year’s senior king was Manny Paiva, a Los Angeles native who’s had open-heart surgery and started using the cardiac fitness center in 2009.
While addressing the 100 people or so in attendance and donning his crown, Paiva shared similar sentiments about the sense of togetherness in the program and how it’s different from past gyms he’s tried.
“When I come here, it’s family,” Paiva said.
This year’s senior queen was Bransm Mukhtar, while Jim Hsieh, who had open-heart surgery in 1991 and has been involved at Dignity Health for many years, was bestowed the title of Young at Heart.