The Roller family is all smiles following Keith’s successful cardiac surgery.For some people, their first helicopter ride might be spent soaring over the Grand Canyon or exploring the blue glaciers of Alaska. For Keith Roller, that first ride in a helicopter was a matter of life or death.

Keith had not been feeling well for about a year. He had a long list of symptoms including difficulty eating, congestion and shortness of breath. The last couple of months before he was hospitalized the symptoms got worse, and he was extremely fatigued all the time.

He finally went to his family doctor, who diagnosed pneumonia. After several rounds of antibiotics, Keith’s health was not improving, and his doctor sent him to a pulmonary specialist.