LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — 2020 marks a special Father’s Day for Greg Brown, because if it weren’t for his son, he’d likely not be alive to celebrate.
Hunter Brown is a sonography/echocardiography student at MedQuest College in Lexington. Almost a year ago, he asked his father if he would let him practice getting heart ultrasounds on him.
“Little did we know it was a very big deal,” said Hunter.
During the initial scan, Hunter said he noticed something off about his dad’s reading.
“Immediately he was just being serious and I'm like, ‘Come on, Hunter. If I'd known you were gonna be like this I wouldn't have come’,” Greg said.
Hunter called his instructor for verification, who confirmed Greg was dealing with a serious heart condition.
“She said, ‘You know, I don't mean to scare you or anything but you need to see a doctor’,” Greg recounted. “Then she's like, ‘I would prefer you leave here today in an ambulance'.”
Greg was diagnosed with aortic stenosis.
The American Heart Association defines aortic stenosis as “a narrowing of the aortic valve opening. Aortic stenosis restricts the blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta and may also affect the pressure in the left atrium.”
Within two weeks, Greg Brown underwent open-heart surgery, which included a bypass, valve replacement and a pacemaker.
Greg said he’s blessed.
“I'm here to get to have another Father's Day with my son, because of what he did,” he said.
Hunter said he believes everything happens for a reason.
“It was crazy timing. Everything worked out the way it was supposed to. I'm glad I chose this career in healthcare. It has been a passion of mine and my family really pushed me to do this,” Hunter said.
“It's like every day I get to celebrate Father's Day because we're together,” said Greg.
