Warren Donaldson, a 64-year-old former basketball player, was struggling with symptoms that made it difficult for him to play the game he loved. Shortness of breath, heart palpitations, and brief dizzy spells had been dismissed as minor issues. However, after seeing an NBA legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s public service announcement about his diagnosis with atrial fibrillation, Donaldson decided to visit his doctor.
A protruding vein in his neck led to a shocking discovery: a mass the size of an orange growing inside his heart. Doctors at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center confirmed that it was a pericardiac cyst, a rare condition occurring in about 1 in 100,000 people.
The cyst was located deep within Donaldson’s heart muscle and was pushing on the right ventricular outflow tract, causing symptoms like palpitations, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Doctors performed an open-heart procedure to remove the mass and rebuild the affected area.
After a successful surgery and several weeks of cardiac rehab, Donaldson is now back to his normal activities. He credits Abdul-Jabbar’s PSA with encouraging him to take action, which made all the difference in getting diagnosed early.
“I feel great,” Donaldson said after the procedure. “I’m glad I saw that public service announcement from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It gave me hope and encouragement.”
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/heart-symptoms-pericardiac-cyst-kareem-abdul-jabbar