TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
The Hale family enjoying a memorable vacation in Hawaii during Christmas Break 2024
Vonnie and Seth at the Pi Kappa Alpha “Pike Ball” in March 2007
Vonnie and Seth
Hale were married on November 3, 2007, at First United Pentecostal Church in Minden, Louisiana
her heart. “It felt like a cell phone vibrating in my pocket, except it was in my chest,” described Vonnie. That’s when he told her, “It’s time.” At the hospital, her blood pressure frightened the nurses, being 80/30, and Seth was ready to speak up on Vonnie’s behalf, knowing the only thing that could help at this point was surgery. “It felt pretty cool to be able to advocate for my wife in this way,” he said. But no matter how well acquainted you are with a topic, nothing can fully prepare you when it comes to the health of someone you love. “When you are a cardiologist, and your wife is the patient going through it, being scared is still being scared. There’s nothing different about that,” he explained. Finally, on September 25, 2023, at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the time had come to face their fears and move forward with surgery. “After I experienced rapid decompensation with new onset heart failure,” explained Vonnie, “I was directly admitted to the Congenital Cardiology service at UT Southwestern Medical Center under Dr. Beth Brickner. After seven days on her service trying to improve my pre-surgical state, I underwent a very complicated surgery to fix my aortic aneurysm, replace my aortic valve, and fix my leaking pulmonary valve. This required a team of four specialized cardiothoracic surgeons led by Dr. Michael Jessen. Though “Seth did not do (the surgery), he was there every second until I went under, and he was there after,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been blessed enough to be in a position
to care for her and also blessed to be her husband, and it has been the greatest honor of my life, short of being a father,” said Seth. “Every day I have with her is a gift. I try my best not to ever take her for granted because there have been two real times when I thought I was going to lose her. It definitely turned our relationship into something that is hard to explain… Luckily for me, I married the woman of my dreams, and it has been a blessing ever since.” “I am human, so of course, there are dark, scary times,” said Vonnie. “There was a time right before my surgery that it really hit me that there was a huge possibility that I might not wake up… It felt like a darkness I couldn’t overcome. My faith and knowing that I was surrounded by friends and family who were continually praying and thinking of me really meant a lot, and I believe that delivered me from the darkness.” On a daily and weekly basis, Vonnie remains on blood thinners, so there is the realization that there are many things she won’t do again. “I’m happy to adjust my lifestyle based on my medication and needs,” she said. “Now, knowing how close I was to death, the statement that rings most true for me is… ‘I’m just happy to be here,’” she said. Vonnie is a person you would describe as a walking ray of sunshine, typically dressed in a colorful outfit, greeting people with a sugary sweet smile and a bubbly “hello.” “If there’s one thing I could leave to this world when it is my time—hopefully many, many years from now—is that I always spread happiness and radiate joy.”
Vonnie with her siblings, from left to right—Bradley, baby Brittany held by Brandie, and Vonnie wearing a red bow and belt
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LIFE & STYLE
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