You don’t hear many people say that having a heart attack is the best thing to ever happen to them. But that’s exactly what Dale Sadowsky says. And he gives a lot of the credit for his attitude to you and the Cardiac Rehabilitation services at Mercy Health — Lorain Hospital.

Dale’s heart attack happened when he was working alone late one night. He counts himself lucky emergency services could reach him. He had five stents inserted but still faced a long road to recovery. That’s where your gift to Cardiac Rehab made all the difference.

“I quit drinking and smoking when I was 35,” Dale, now 69, says. “I’ve always been fairly slim, but my diet was horrible.

That was one big thing I had to figure out how to change. It was one of the many ways cardiac rehab helped.”

Just over a year later, Dale is feeling great and can’t believe how much better things are for him. And he wants you to know how important your gift was to him.

“Without those services, I would not be able live my life in a healthy, productive way,” he says. “I would say it’s almost a picture-perfect story. The people working in cardiac rehab, they would be extremely happy for me!”

Dale is quick to point out a few of his favorites: Dr. Holiday and Mary the nutritionist.

“With what I learned I absolutely have quality of life now,” he said. “I have physical energy, and I feel positive and am a lucky human being. That heart attack was the best thing that ever happened to me in my life.”