Full Recovery

After two consecutive heart attacks, Tim Buddenhagen was able to rehab in his home town of Huron.

If it hadn’t been for the expertise of doctors at Huron Regional Medical Center, Tim Buddenhagen would have overdone it while recovering from two consecutive heart attacks. “They had to tell me to slow down,” he admitted. 

Adequate recovery takes time, and the Huron High basketball coach and physical education teacher has more of that thanks to the team at HRMC and Sanford Heart Hospital. Following his surgery, Tim completed six-weeks of cardiac rehabilitation and to this day, feels healthy and fortunate.

That’s because the HRMC team has guided him toward living a healthier life. Educating patients like Tim is a commitment made to all who walk through the hospital’s doors, in part thanks to the work of Huron Regional Medical Center Foundation. The foundation raises money to provide new technology at the hospital, and attract and retain medical professionals so that comprehensive care can be offered to residents.

HRMC’s commitment to Tim’s recovery allowed him to finish his rehabilitation in Huron, rather than traveling elsewhere. A resident for 32 years, Tim said that having HRMC locally continues to be an incredible asset to the community—something he doesn’t want to see taken for granted.

“It’s easy, accessible and they care not just about addressing an emergency—but making our community healthy.”

“I’m happy to still be involved in the community and to live a healthy lifestyle,” he continued. “You hear of someone having a heart attack and think it’s a death sentence. You don’t have to be sedentary. I want to be a role model and say to people, ‘You can do this.’”

And thanks in part to HRMC, he most definitely will.