Hello, my name is Drew Wherley. I am a senior at Otterbein University studying Accounting and Pre-Law. I am on the men’s tennis team, and I also enjoy golfing, fishing, biking, skiing, and hiking.

At the age of six, I was diagnosed with Sinus Node Disfunction and Heart Arrhythmia. I had to receive a pacemaker. At first, my body rejected it and I developed fluid around the heart. I had to receive an immune globulin infusion six months after receiving the pacemaker. After the infusion, my life growing up was as normal as it could be. I wasn’t able to play contact sports and roughhouse with the neighborhood kids, but I excelled in tennis and golf.

Years went by, with the occasional check-up with Dr. John Clark. My need for a pacemaker diminished. During my routine checkup in December of 2022, Dr. John Clark told my parents and I about a procedure that can potentially fix my heart and end my need for a pacemaker. This was the cardioneuroablation procedure. I was quickly encouraged by this news and scheduled it for May 4th, 2023. The procedure was a huge success and Dr. Clark was ecstatic! He was able to successfully cauterize several vagal nerves connected to my heart, which were responsible for stopping it when activated. Because of this procedure, we are planning to get my pacemaker removed within a year or two. I am thrilled about the thought of living without a pacemaker, as it’s been a part of me for most of my life.

I am very thankful for my doctors, family, and friends who stuck around and encouraged me throughout my journey. Even though my heart problems have stained my childhood, I have made the most of the situation. Looking back, I wouldn’t have changed a thing as the events have shaped who I am today.

Greetings! My name is Gabriel Wherley, and I am a senior at The Ohio State University. I am currently studying civil engineering, although I plan to pursue a career in law. Earlier this year, on May 11th, I received a Cardioneuroblation. I have a twin brother, Drew, who also received a Cardioneuroblation one week prior, on May 4th.

My story begins when I was six years old, playing on the playground during kindergarten recess. At the end of recess, I didn’t feel too well, and I collapsed and suffered a seizure. After school, I went to the family doctor to try to find the cause of this episode. Because of my age, I was referred to Akron Children’s Heart Center to further analyze what had happened to me. After inconclusive tests, I was sent home wearing a Holter Monitor to observe my heart rate. Seizures were infrequent, so to the surprise of many, I happened to experience a seizure while wearing this heart monitor. Days after sending back the heart monitor, my family received a phone call from Dr. John Clark informing us that I would need to receive a pacemaker. I was diagnosed with sinus node dysfunction, and so I needed a pacemaker to help regulate my heart rate during these episodes.

The years following the surgery were difficult for me and my family: Drew also had to receive a pacemaker, and the frequent hospital visits and the long recovery and adjustments caused me to fall behind socially and academically. By the time high school came around, I had to receive a replacement pacemaker due to the original battery being depleted. I received my replacement pacemaker and began to make up ground socially and academically throughout high school. By the time college rolled around, Dr. John Clark had been mentioning this brand-new procedure called Cardioneuroblation, which was pioneered by Dr. Jose Carlos Pachon, that would evidently end the need for pacemakers in patients similar to me and my brother. This new procedure was met with skepticism, but as the number of success stories grew, the more comfortable we were to discuss having this procedure. Thus, Drew and I received the surgery this summer in hopes that we would not have to live with pacemakers for the rest of our lives. Sure enough, the Cardioneuroblation was a tremendous success, and we look forward to the near future where we no longer have to wear a pacemaker.

Overall, I am very thankful for all of the incredible staff and doctors who contributed to my successful surgery. The surgery was a total success, and the recovery symptoms were very mild. The greatest symptom for me, personally, was anxiety (knowing that my heart rate had changed), but I found ways to overcome that. If I had the opportunity when younger, I would absolutely get a Cardioneuroblation instead of a pacemaker. I hope to see a future where pacemakers are obsolete, where patients can get a Cardioneuroblation and leave the hospital that same day with their lives forever changed.