A second chance: Greg Gallion's fight for life

For as long as his daughter Heather can remember, Greg Gallion has been a man in motion. Growing up in Maryland, he juggled caring for cattle, chickens, and dogs while working three jobs and being a father. He was the kind of man who never sat still.

But in December 2024, everything changed. After finishing work one evening, Greg called Heather.

“I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest,” he told her.

Heather didn’t hesitate. “I’m coming to get you,” she replied, rushing him to HCA Florida Brandon Hospital.

When they arrived, Greg was confused — so disoriented he didn’t even know his own name. Heather immediately told the staff, “That’s not my dad. Please get him tested, something’s wrong.”

Tests revealed Greg was in extreme congestive heart failure and cardiogenic shock. His condition was critical. At one point, Heather remembers when she was told that everyone should come in who wants a chance to see him one last time.

Greg remembers holding his daughter’s hand and looking her in the eyes.

“Heather, I do not want to die,” he said, adding a final “I love you” and a wink.

Within the hour, Heather got the call she feared — Greg had gone into cardiac arrest. Most physicians didn’t believe he was strong enough to survive surgery.

That's when Heather Williams says Dr. Bradley Bufkin came in and gave the family hope.

“We’re doing the surgery,” he said. Dr. Bufkin determined Greg was a candidate for a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), a less invasive alternative to open-heart surgery. Instead of opening the chest, the team would guide a catheter through Greg’s blood vessels to his heart, replace the damaged valve, restoring blood flow.

The operation was a success.

Greg began his recovery in the CVICU, where his nurse, Kellie Jones, saw his determination right away. “I saw that he had a strong spirit, and I was going to nurse him back to health,” she said.

Next, Greg moved on to the inpatient rehabilitation unit at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital where he spent his birthday.

He could have stayed in rehab for three months, but Greg had other plans. On the eighth day, his therapist told him he had graduated and he could complete his physical therapy from home now.

Just a few months later, Greg was able to reunite with his nurse Kellie at his home in Ruskin. They hugged, both overwhelmed by how far he had come.

“It’s amazing to see him walking and talking without a walker,” Kellie said. “To hear patients talk about being given a second chance — that’s why we do this.”