When James learned he had a defective aortic heart valve, he stubbornly refused to have surgery. Instead, he lost 90 pounds and improved his overall health, but a follow-up test showed the valve had deteriorated. James finally agreed that valve replacement surgery was inevitable. In 2006, doctors implanted the SJM Biocor® stented tissue valve.

Since the surgery, James has returned to his job driving buses in Minneapolis, while finding time to enjoy ice fishing on Minnesota’s lakes.