Young at heart 74-year-old Carol Henry of Mays Landing is thankful today to be alive, and she credits it all to Deborah.

Always a healthy person, she began experiencing leg pain over a year ago, and that started her on a journey of misdiagnoses and pain management — including steroids (causing kidney stones), narcotics, and epidurals — that offered only short-term relief.

“How can you keep treating her if you don’t know what’s wrong?” her husband, George Henry, kept asking himself throughout this stressful and confusing time.

Finally Carol’s chiropractor told her she needed a vascular check-up. Sure enough, testing showed she only had 10% circulation in her legs.

A physician at her regional hospital suggested placing stents to open the blood flow. But after a botched attempt to perform the procedure through her arm — followed by a suggestion to try again through the groin — she became very concerned.

“I was worried and scared.”

Fortunately for Carol, she has devoted children who were her best patient advocates.

“Her husband George knew they needed a second opinion, they had made too many mistakes,” says son Charles Cain. Charles then reached out to his good friends, WPG-FM radio show host Harry Hurley and New Jersey Broadcast Association President Paul Rotella, for advice. They immediately recommended Deborah.

“I was at Deborah within three days,” recalls Carol. “I had seven hours of testing and then I met with vascular surgeons Drs. Kane Chang and Patrick Coffey. They immediately knew that the scar tissue from my prior history of C-sections, a hysterectomy, and endometriosis would prevent accessing the leg blockages through my groin. I needed femoral double bypass surgery. I was told the risks and scheduled right away.”

Carol was scared for the next three days.

“Once I got over the shock, I had faith in them to do the surgery.”

After a complex seven-hour surgery, eleven days at the Hospital, and eight days in rehab, Carol’s year-long journey of pain was finally over. She was better.

“I can’t say enough about the hospital and the doctors, who were totally exceptional. Everyone — even the lunch room staff — was just so nice.”

Her husband George and son agree. “Deborah saved her life. From the initial phone call to Maggie in patient intake to the daily updates by Dr. Mark Moshiyakhov in Intensive Care, mom and our entire family were cared for like we were part of the Deborah family. We all thank God for guiding us there.”

As for Carol? She’s up and running again, getting ready for flea market season. “I know that if I hadn’t gone to Deborah, I wouldn’t be here today!”