Last year, Fleckner had an open sternotomy aortic valve replacement at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center. After surgery, she could only walk about 15 feet before she’d need to rest. 

That’s where Health First’s Cardiac Rehab program comes in. Fleckner began the program in June, following the operation. In early November, she joyfully celebrated her 82nd birthday – and graduated from Cardiac Rehab. She could get back to mowing the lawn – and she couldn’t have been happier.

“This is definitely how you get better after going through something like this with your heart,” Jeanne said. “The program and the routine are what helped me recover from this.”

READ the full story in Space Coast Daily here.