TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Ordinary people make a difference everyday.
Whether it's someone who's saving lives, making advances in ground-breaking research or educating children in our community.
We don't hear these stories as often as we'd like, but we're going to change that.
Every first Friday of the month, our Christine Souders is recognizing individuals right here in our community leaving a lasting, positive impact.
Kicking off the series, Dr. Jeffery Snyder from Capital Regional Medical Center is November's "Difference Maker."
Life is full of surprises.
For Deborah Pace, it was in a scenic park where she and her now husband celebrated their engagement, but before Deborah could walk down the isle another turn of events, there was another surprise, not a welcomed one.
"It started back on October 20th, 2014, I went downstairs to get a drink and suddenly I couldn't breath," said Deborah Pace.
Deborah came to the hospital thinking she was having an asthma attack. 8 hours later she found herself on the operating table. She woke up to the people who saved her life.
"I was in intensive care and I was like wait a minute what's going on here? I thought I was having an asthma attack and all I needed was a breathing treatment and I'd be on my way," said Pace.
She had three blocked arteries.
Dr. Jeffery Snyder, a Cardiac Surgeon administered an emergency operation.
"She was likely going to die without some intervention, the only recourse was to go to emergency surgery," said Dr. Jeffery Snyder.
It was triple bypass surgery.
"Many times these high-risk situations don't have a good alternative. Hers' was that situation," said Dr. Snyder.
Deborah said it was the fast-thinking of the physicians at Capital Regional Medical Center that saved her life.
"Thank God Dr. Snyder was there," Pace said.
It was a slow recovery and an emotional one.
A recovery others in her shoes never experienced
"There were other people who had surgery that day and out of the 4 people who had surgery, I'm the only one here," said Pace.
Deborah spent thousands of hours and minutes of her life in exam rooms.
She made a bet with her doctors and nursing staff.
"Our goal was wedding day. I didn't want to walk into my wedding on a walker. I wanted to walk in to my future husband," she said.
She did and in the same year Dr. Snyder put in her pace maker, calling it her "safety net."
Now three years later they meet again.
"Hello stranger. How are you?" asked Pace.
"Your looking good," replied Dr. Snyder.
"I'm looking good because of you," she said.
Today, Deborah's heart is operating at 20 percent, but the defibrillator allows her not to worry as much
A simple asthma attack.
The thought never crossed Deborah's mind, it could be her heart.
"I'm here to say don't be afraid to go to the doctor. Pleas go," said Pace.
Dr. Snyder not only made a difference in Deborah's life, but he's making a difference for others' who too may find themselves needing his safety net.
"That's the most rewarding thing about what I do. I was able to help them to be there," he said.
That's why Dr. Jeffery Snyder is a Difference Maker.
It takes a team to do save a person's life of course.
Deborah also credits Dr. Carey Dellock and Dr. Niraj Pandit for acting swiftly.
Dr. Snyder does these types of surgeries on average three times each month and with new technology the likelihood of survival is much higher than it used to be.
If you know someone who is a Difference Maker in our community, email us at abc27news@wtxl.tv.
We'll showcase someone new each month every first Friday.
MOBILE USERS: Download our WTXL news app on your Apple and Android devices for the latest from South Georgia and North Florida. Also, download our WTXL Weather Now app for Apple and Android devices to get the latest local weather wherever you go.
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for additional local news and hourly updates.
Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
