Debra "Chocolate" Shine

Having the nickname “Chocolate” naturally prompts the question, what kind of chocolate do you like?

Debra Shine, a recovering open heart surgery patient responds, “Milk chocolate.” So then logically, you have to ask, what is your preference in candy? “Milky ways and Hershey’s kisses, but I like all milk chocolate including M and M’s,” shared Shine.

Debra’s nickname, Chocolate, works for her. She has this special combination of strength and love in her heart, which is deserving of being spoiled with chocolate. She is that special. Life has been challenging for this strong woman due to an accident. In 1989, she was hit by a car on the side of the road, which left her as a double amputee. At the time, she was a young mom and focused on taking care of her daughter.

Fast forward to today. In September 2025, Debra was living an active life and her disability was not slowing her down. She woke up in the middle of the night with heartburn. She described her chest pain as a 10 out of 10.  Her husband drove her to HCA Florida Brandon Hospital.  She was having a heart attack.

Caring for Heart Blockages

When she arrived at the emergency room at Brandon Hospital, she underwent an emergency heart catheterization during which a stent was placed in her right coronary artery (RCA). She was stabilized, but it was determined that she still had two other arteries with significant blockages. Her left anterior descending artery (LAD) was 95% blocked, and her left circumflex artery (LCX) was 85% blocked.

Dr. Umesh Gowda, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the cardiac cath lab and structural heart program, met with the team to decide on the revascularization approach. Due to Shine’s overall health and the loss of her legs, the team decided that a catheterization procedure to insert the two stents was the best approach.

“Chocolate made an instantaneous connection with the team. She was full of laughter and as confident as she could be. Very few patients in the catheterization lab are smiling and laughing. They are typically nervous or anxious,” said Dr. Gowda. “She was so engaged and full of life.”

We were “pretty confident as a team. It was a good case and we would have a good outcome,” said Dr. Gowda.

Reacting to the unexpected

When the cath lab team went to break up the blockage in her artery, they used a guidewire. “We could not get the guidewire past the 95% blockage in the artery. The blockage was a challenging configuration. It changed the whole approach to her care,” said Dr. Gowda.

At that juncture, Shine took a turn for the worst. She had a second heart attack and her blood pressure made a rapid descent. Physicians said she was as close to death as you can get.

Dr. Gowda called for a rapid response from the rescue team. “I felt that if I tried to do more. I may lose the patient,” said Dr. Gowda.  “It still amazes me to see how seamless the process went to have her intubated and the intra-aortic balloon pump placed. The nurses and catheterization team work so well together and focused on the task at hand to stabilize the patient.”

Emergency open heart surgery

Dr. Gowda called in Dr. Errico, cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at Brandon Hospital, to discuss Shine’s emergency case. They explained the situation to Shine’s husband. He gave his support and asked them to “do whatever you can to save her life.”

Due to Shine having another heart attack during the cath lab procedure, her heart was weak and stressed. It was now an emergency open heart bypass surgery, which is a higher risk procedure. She was taken back to the operating room quickly.

“With bypass surgery, we do not touch the blockages. Blockages stay where they are. We create a new pathway to go around the blockage,” said Dr. Errico.

“Most commonly, we have one surgeon prep an artery in the chest wall called the mammary artery, also known as internal thoracic artery, while another surgeon harvests pieces of veins from the legs to make the bypass. It was much more challenging in this case, because Shine had two leg amputations previously and there was less viable vein to use for the bypass. In the end, we were able to collect enough vein, but it was roughly 40% of what we typically work with.”

Open-heart bypass surgery involves several critical steps. These are the major ones. A surgeon makes an incision down the center of the chest and splits the breastbone. The heart is then stopped — “yes” stopped — while a heart-lung bypass machine maintains the blood circulation throughout the body. Next, the bypass graft is delicately stitched into place. The heart is restarted — yes “restarted” — and disconnected from the bypass machine. The circulation to the heart now flows through the newly created artery. Finally, the breastbone and incision are closed with stitches.

“When I explain it to someone, I realize how amazing and magical it (bypass surgery) really is,” said Dr. Errico.

Although the bypass was in place, Shine’s severely weakened heart and additional complications made the first 24 hours after surgery critical.

“There was a 50/50 chance she might not survive the night,” said Dr. Errico.

Thankfully, she did.

Recovering from open heart surgery

Her recovery was more complicated too.

“Her arms are her independence, so it was a difficult recovery,” said Dr. Errico. She had to rest her upper body because she had a large incision down the middle of her chest. She was unable to stand to promote full-body circulation, which is an important part of a typical recovery.

“Her prognosis is favorable with her blockages being treated. She really had the odds against her. But she is a strong person and has a very caring family,” said Dr. Errico.

Although it can take her a little bit longer, Shine prides herself on her independence and her ability to care for her family. She works hard at it too. Debra and her daughter, Ivory, who helped her mother recover from the traumatic injury that caused her double amputation, are incredibly close.  Mom and daughter love each other unconditionally. Her beloved husband, cherished son-in-law and close-knit family fuel the passion for life that Shine radiates.

Shine has sweet, lovey names for her grandchildren. She adores them. Avery “Pumpkin”, age 16, Steven Jr. “Baby”, age 15, Amari “Beautiful”, age 12, Skyler, age 12, Kaden, age 10, Sire “Sunshine”, age 4 and Axyl, “Sweet Pea”, age 7 months.

Shine has won her fair share of baking contests for her chocolate cakes at church gatherings. She also makes chocolate desserts for her beloved grandchildren upon request for their birthdays and celebrations. Her chocolate delicacies range from next level s’mores to mousses. She shares her love of chocolate with family and friends every chance she gets.

Besides caring for her immediate family, Shine started a home daycare and cared for children from 1996-2017. She has raised over 20 children. They all call her “Nana” and have genuine affection for her caring heart.

Her family will have “grandma” home for the holidays and looks forward to her sweet chocolate desserts to come. Life is sweeter with a loving person like Debra Shine in this world. It just is.