A Heartfelt Journey: How Two Couples Overcame Heart Emergencies with UF Health’s Expertise

Leigh and Chuck Jacobs are comfortable with their morning routine. It often begins with a phone call, since the couple splits their time between houses in Florida and Maryland. Working in the insurance business, Leigh is based in Fernandina and Chuck is a small business owner in the Mid-Atlantic. Although many miles apart, for weeks at a time, the couple’s bond runs deep and they always try to start each morning with a daily devotion. The day-to-day pattern is familiar but delightful and gives them time together before going their separate ways.

Not far from Leigh in Jacksonville, Florida, married cardiologists, Fabiana Rollini, MD, and Francesco Franchi, MD, share a similar morning moment with a family breakfast and heading to work to care for patients — Rollini at UF Health Jacksonville and Franchi at UF Health North.

The two couples had no way of knowing in March 2023 that their lives would intersect to have a lasting impact.

Leigh typically takes time for herself after most morning calls with Chuck to run several miles in her Amelia Concourse neighborhood. But what started as a common activity soon turned to something unexpected. As she began her jog, an unusual pressure settled on her chest, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. Trusting her instincts, she called her daughter, a nurse, who immediately advised her to go to the closest ER or urgent care.

When her local urgent care wasn’t open yet, Leigh made the decision to drive herself to the Emergency Department at UF Health North, where she was assessed and then admitted. It wasn’t long before a cardiology resident noted an anomaly in Leigh’s EKG reading, prompting a consult with Franchi. He explained that Leigh needed a cardiac catheterization to measure blood pressure and oxygen levels in her heart to see if she had any coronary artery blockages. Additionally, he explained that once the catherization was complete, she may require a stent to be implanted to keep her coronary artery open.

Trusting Her Instincts

Leigh is known for being cautious when it comes to her health care. “I like to get all the facts before making decisions, so I called my daughter again,” Leigh said. “My daughter completely trusted Dr. Franchi’s judgement and reassured me they wouldn’t propose a procedure like that unless it was absolutely necessary.”

Confident she was ready to move forward, Leigh called Chuck, who was working in Maryland that week, to let him know the situation and that she was scheduled for the procedure the next morning.

Once up to speed, but still hundreds of miles away, Chuck immediately booked the first flight to Jacksonville to be by his wife’s side the next day. Arriving at Jacksonville International Airport just a few miles from UF Health North, he went straight to Leigh’s hospital room. Although Chuck was quite anxious because of his wife’s procedure, he also began to feel something strange. There was a tingling in his chest, followed by a sense of sickness that only worsened as the minutes ticked by.

Another Cardiac Event

Leigh who was just waking up from surgery, immediately noticed that something was very wrong with Chuck. “You look terrible, Honey,” she said, instinctively sensing that her husband was in trouble. Chuck agreed and Leigh quickly called for a nurse who rushed to her room and immediately recognized his symptoms as a complex, major cardiac event. Within minutes, he was swiftly stabilized and transferred by ambulance to UF Health Jacksonville’s downtown campus.

The transfer to UF Health Jacksonville was fast. Chuck was admitted and placed in the care of Madeline Mahowald, MD, a board-certified interventional cardiologist. Staffed by internationally recognized leaders in cardiac care, research and education, the UF Health Cardiovascular Center is renowned for treating patients with complex diseases and being on the forefront of interventional cardiology.

Mahowald performed a catheterization to open his blocked arteries and restore blood flow to Chuck’s heart. While Chuck’s condition was stabilized, further observation revealed that his heart wasn’t strong enough for major heart surgery. As a result, a second catherization procedure was done by Calvin Choi, MD, director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.

Families United by Heart Care

While still in recovery during Chuck’s operation, Leigh met Fabiana Rollini, MD, cardiologist and medical director of inpatient services. Their conversation revealed a remarkable coincidence — Rollini was married to Franchi, the cardiologist who had recommended Leigh’s heart care just days earlier. It wasn’t lost on Leigh that her journey had brought their two families together at just the right time.

“Dr. Rollini was so kind,” Leigh said. “She talked about her own family and it put me at ease knowing she and her husband worked together on such an experienced team of heart doctors.”

After several days of monitoring, both Leigh and Chuck were cleared for discharge. Despite their shared health crises, the couple was thankful to be returning home. Leigh’s practical nature once again took over and she made the decision to take her recovery one step at a time with a long-term goal of running when the time was right. Chuck was encouraged to slow down and decided to find more balance between his busy work schedule and time at home resting with family.

“We’ve been blessed,” Chuck said, smiling as he reflected on their situation. “It’s not every day two people get a second chance at life in the same week. We’re back to our routine but at a much slower pace and we’re more grateful than ever for each day together with our children and grandchildren.”