To this day, Jan Mars wonders what life would have been like if things were different in 2002. Active, vibrant and always on the go, Jan’s life was in full swing when he experienced an unexpected life-threatening heart attack at the young age of 47 while at home in Fort Erie. The married father of two teenage daughters was readying to fly to Holland with his brother to bid goodbye to their sister who was dying.

“My chest was feeling heavy that day. My stomach was upset when I went to pick up my passport that afternoon. I figured it was stress. Things got worse through the evening but I figured I was just nervous about the flight,” recalls Jan. “I went to bed but a few hours later I woke up in a sweat and was throwing up. I didn’t know what was going on but I knew something was wrong. My wife Lorraine called the ambulance and all I remember is being in terrible pain and everything going black in the ambulance.”

Jan was taken to the Niagara Health System’s Douglas Memorial Hospital Site where he was stabilized. Less than 24 hours after admission he experienced another heart attack. He was whisked away to Hamilton Health Sciences’ cardiac catheterization lab. Jan’s coronary arteries were blocked with plaque.

Jan needed to have an angioplasty and he needed it done immediately. Angioplasty is a procedure where a thin flexible tube (catheter), guide wire, and balloon are used to open up the arteries to improve blood flow to the heart. Jan also had two small expandable wire tubes called stents inserted into his artery to hold it open. He spent 10 long days in Hamilton and another five months at home recovering with his dedicated and concerned family alongside.

While Jan has had a near full recovery, his perspective on life has changed dramatically.

“I wonder to this day how different my life would be now if I would have been treated earlier. When it comes to this kind of thing even one hour is an eternity. Every minute counts. Time is of the essence.”