Alyce Griffin

Alyce Griffin is no stranger to death. In fact, in her Chicago area family business, she deals with death everyday. But this longtime funeral home executive embodies life as she approaches her 87th birthday. As CEO of Griffin Funeral Home for nearly 60 years, she's learned to treasure her health and longevity. So when Griffin experienced heart trouble, she sought treatment at Mayo Clinic.

"I began having some serious nosebleeds, but wasn't too concerned about them," recalls Griffin. "But my daughters encouraged me to have a complete physical. During my checkup, a local cardiologist mentioned a heart abnormality. Immediately, I wanted to go to Mayo Clinic, recalling the positive experiences my late husband had there in the 1960s." While the nosebleeds prompted a checkup, they were likely unrelated to her heart trouble.

Griffin has experienced a healthy life. She had no symptoms that would indicate heart disease. Despite her age, she's remained active in all areas of life. "I am a sorority individual and attend church outings and social gatherings on a regular basis," she says. "I live above the funeral home and even though there's a fully functioning elevator in the building, I take the stairs." Choosing to do this every day for the past 60 years, Griffin has literally logged hundreds of miles just by making this one lifestyle decision.

If you saw Griffin, you might guess her to be quite a bit younger. "I wear a suit and high heels to work everyday — and I do work each and every day." Griffin handles the business' payroll, staffing and general maintenance. Her daughter and granddaughter also work in the business, so when they need to be away, Griffin steps in as a funeral administrator. "I don't feel like a senior citizen, but I'm classified as one," laughs Griffin.

Returning to Mayo

Griffin's late husband came to Mayo in the 1960s and received treatment that was unavailable to him anywhere else at the time. "In addition, we had many friends who went to Mayo Clinic for their annual checkups because of its great reputation for successfully dealing with complex and routine medical problems," recalls Griffin. "So when I heard the words 'heart problem,' I instantly knew where I wanted to be treated." The ability to self-refer directly to a cardiologist and see a specialist within days impressed Griffin and her family.

"Mrs. Griffin had developed degenerative heart disease," explains Hartzell V. Schaff, M.D., a cardiovascular surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. "So even though she's in great shape and takes excellent care of herself, she developed weakness and a leakage in one of her heart valves."

The decision to operate on a patient more than 80 years old is made through a selective process. If an elderly patient has other health problems or might not withstand the surgery and ensuing healing process, the patient might not be a candidate for valve replacement or repair.

"Even though Mrs. Griffin was more than 80 years old, we look at activity level and the general health of the patient," says Dr. Schaff. "She was very active and in good health. She had a strong desire to maintain her physical capabilities."

"Dr. Schaff told me that it was the condition, and not the age, of the body that matters," remembers Griffin. "And he said I was in excellent condition for my age." Griffin didn't hesitate or stop to consider the ramifications of such a surgery. "I put my complete confidence in Mayo Clinic," she says, "I knew if they thought I would respond well to surgery that it was the next logical step for me."

"During the surgery, we repaired her mitral valve and bypassed two narrowed coronary arteries. The leakage was severe and it seemed odd that she was literally without symptoms," recalls Dr. Schaff. "Because there was no damage to her heart, she responded very well and recovered quickly from the procedure."

Say it with greeting cards

"In my job, I have learned to treasure life," says Griffin, "and I certainly treasure mine." Each year, on the anniversary of her surgery, Griffin sends her surgeon a card. "It's like remembering any other special event," she explains. "Mayo Clinic was so kind to me. I'm grateful because they repaired my heart," she says, "but I'm also appreciative of the kind and caring way in which they did it."

"Mrs. Griffin is an amazing person," says Dr. Schaff. "It's so rewarding to see a person remain youthful, healthy and active their entire life."