Helping people is my passion
Gerald Wingard has been a child psychologist for 50 years. He has advanced degrees from University of Chicago and Notre Dame and has dedicated his life to working with children suffering from depression and anxiety. “I feel like it’s a calling,” he says. “Helping people is my passion.”
But in October 2018, it was Gerald that would need help, although he couldn’t have known it. Early in 2017, Gerald needed cataract surgery. As part of routine testing prior to the surgery, he says, “They listened to my heart and found a heart murmur.”
He was initially diagnosed with mild Aortic Stenosis, however in just under two years his condition quickly deteriorated from mild to severe to critical. Yet, even at its worst, Gerald was still asymptomatic. “Usually people with this are very tired, out of breath and they can’t do much. I had none of that,” he explains. “I didn’t see it coming.”
By October 2018, Gerald was told his condition would require surgery to replace his main aortic valve. “I thought, ‘I feel fine… this can’t be real!’ But they told me I was far from fine and, without the surgery, I might not live to see another year.”
As for work, Gerald hasn’t slowed down a bit. He starts his day at 4:30 a.m. to review paperwork and starts seeing patients from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. “People say ‘you must be exhausted!’” Gerald exclaims. “Actually, I’m energized!”
