The Best Gift

On December 25, 2017, Roger Louden received the best Christmas present he could ever imagine – his life.

At 8:00 p.m. that evening, Roger was diagnosed at Methodist Olive Branch Hospital with a type-A aortic dissection. Following the diagnosis, he was immediately flown to Methodist University Hospital where he underwent a 12-hour open-heart aortic repair by Dr. Anthony Holden.

Prior to his surgery, at the age of 57, Roger had never spent a whole night – let alone nine days – in the hospital, so the entire experience was very surreal for him. Today, Roger gives “glory to God and his angels who work for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare” and for the compassionate, expert care he received from the entire care team.