WASHINGTON— Prom Night is one of the most memorable nights for
many. But for Neil Ross, this special night turned into the scariest moment of
his life.
“When I heard my mom tell me my dad had a heart attack, I
didn’t know how to react. Only thing I could think is that he might die,” Ross
said. Neil Ross is currently a senior at Palm Beach Central High School in West
Palm Beach, FL. Victor Ross, Neil’s father,
is a 65-year-old car technician, and a steel drum performer at night.
Ross’ prom experience
started out as a typical one. He took
pictures by the beach with his girlfriend, friends, and family members, and
then rode in a limo to his prom.“ I was so happy to finally be a senior and go
to prom,” Ross said.
Unfortunately, while Ross was on his way to a prom after
party, he got a phone call from his mother telling him that his father was
being rushed to the hospital. The
glamorous night of his prom festivities turned into a nightmare. “ I didn’t
understand how such a fun night could turn into something so scary,” Ross said.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), every year about 785, 000 Americans have a first coronary attack. “I was
shocked because I never thought this would happen to my dad” Ross said.
Ross was relieved to find out that his father was going to
be fine. But, the fact that his father needed surgery on his heart did not sit
well with him.
“No one in my family has ever needed major surgery, so I
didn’t know what to expect. I asked the doctor so many questions,” Ross said.
A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, occurs
when a section of the heart muscle dies or gets damaged because of reduced blood
supply. According to his doctor, Ross
needed surgery because all of his arteries were clogged.
A heart attack scare can be extremely horrific for family
members. “My sister is flying down tomorrow night and my niece started crying
when I told her what happened,” Ross said.
This scare came at such a critical time in Ross’ life. Ross
recently made a decision that he would be attending a university in California,
which was a hard choice because he would be so far away from home.
“After what happened to my dad, it makes going away for
college so much harder,” Ross said.
The Ross family knew that Victor Ross’ habits were not
healthy and warned him in the past. “We told him to stop smoking, drinking, and
eating so much junk food. But, now we’re going to be harder on him,” Ross said.
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of
death for both men and women. With great
sadness Neil Ross said, “I could of lost my father that night. That night has
changed my life forever.”
