At age 14, Percival King was hospitalized for fever and severe pain associated with rheumatic fever, an inflammatory disease that can develop after a streptococcal bacterial infection of the upper respiratory tract (such as strep throat or scarlet fever). Over the years, King’s rheumatic fever slowly damaged two heart valves. As King’s heart valves scarred, he recalls, “I could feel my health slipping away....

 “For over 20 years, the doctors could not do anything for me until my heart valves were so bad that they would need to be replaced.” Over time, King could not do the things he enjoyed the most, like hiking, traveling around the world, and working out at the gym. When he reached the age of 65, his cardiologist told him it was time to replace his heart valves.

On being told that he would need heart surgery, King immediately turned to Duke University Medical Center (DUMC). “Over the years, I had heard many good things about DUMC from people who were treated there for their health condition. After reading many publications that rated DUMC highly for their health care practices and their cutting-edge research, I knew that Duke was the best place for me to have heart surgery. I called the hospital, and asked them to refer me to the best heart surgeon at Duke. They referred me to Dr. Donald Glower, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Professor. I called my cardiologist in Concord, North Carolina, and told him that I found my heart surgeon at Duke. When I told him that my surgeon was Dr. Glower, he assured me that I was in good hands.”

During King’s preoperative visit for his heart surgery at Duke, he was approached by Elizabeth Perez, a Nurse and Clinical Research Coordinator with the Department of Anesthesiology. Perez told King about a brain protection research study called PeriOperative Interventional Neuroprotection Trial (POINT). The study involves magnesium, a naturally occurring mineral in the body. Perez explained to King that POINT would determine whether giving magnesium during surgery would protect the brain and heart from injury. She discussed the aims of the study with him: to prevent long- and short-term memory loss and to improve a patient’s quality of life after surgery.“She took the time to explain it to me in a very simple way so I could understand it,” recalled King. “I decided to participate in the study because I knew this was very important research. If they determine that giving magnesium can protect the brain and heart during surgery, the ability to preserve memory and enhance quality of life is priceless.”

POINT is a blinded clinical research study, which means that the patient, the surgeon, and the memory tester do not know whether the patient received magnesium or placebo (saltwater).To determine whether a patient’s brain was protected by magnesium, a series of memory tests is performed before surgery, six weeks after surgery, and one year after surgery. “Even though I do not know if I got magnesium or placebo during surgery, I am glad to know that I have contributed in a small way, with hopes that it may benefit others down the road,” said King.

Shortly after coming home from heart surgery, King experienced a setback. He developed fluid in the sac around his heart, which made it necessary for him to return to the hospital. Despite the challenges,he kept his spirits and determination high. King said,“I knew that my road to recovery required effort on my part. I didn’t have control over everything, but I did have control over my attitude and my actions. I was determined to regain my health through God’s help, and the watchful eyes of my wife.” King stated that 15 months after surgery, he was able to jog five and a half miles in an hour. Shortly after King came home from the hospital for the second time, he shared his faith, time, and happiness with others. A few months after surgery, King and his wife, Merlie, were able to experience the joys of traveling again. They went on a Caribbean cruise and then visited their hometown in Jamaica. Since King’s surgery, they have spent some of their time reaching out to patients in the hospital and nursing home. King said, “It is such a joy to see peoples’ faces light up when we visit and pray with them. We remind them that someone else outside of their family loves them and cares about them.”

King hopes to continue his mission of encouraging others to maintain a positive mental attitude on life. “For those who can relate to my health problems, I would like to encourage you to develop the motivation to exercise your mind, body, and soul and find ways to fill your life with fun and joy. I support Duke’s Cardiac Anesthesiology Research Program wholeheartedly because improving the quality of life is so important, especially in being able to share that gift with family and friends. My vision for Cardiac Anesthesiology Research is to see the research findings positively impact our future. My hope is to keep the research doors open by encouraging others to support the doctors, nurses, and researchers, so that they can help other healthcare providers heal their patients by improving patient care practices throughout the world.”