Sometimes the most dangerous heart problems show no symptoms at all. Thanks to donor support, one local father discovered a life-threatening condition just in time — and now has a new lease on life.

When Anupam Malhotra, a 50-year-old Madison resident, signed up for a free heart screening, he felt fine. No symptoms. No warning signs.

But thanks to Foundation donors — who made both the high-tech CT scanner and the screening possible — doctors discovered severe coronary artery blockages. He underwent a coronary angiogram followed by coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) — a procedure that likely saved his life.

“Early intervention helped me and my family,” Anupam said. “Heart bypass surgery wasn’t just a procedure, it was a lifeline. I remember waking up afterward, groggy but aware, and thinking, ‘I’ve got a new lease on life.’ That phrase used to sound cliché. Now it feels like the most honest thing I’ve ever said. It’s not just about surviving — it’s about living. I don’t take things for granted anymore.”

Anupam’s experience was part of the Indian Descent Screening, a collaboration between the HH Heart Center, Huntsville Hospital Foundation, the Alabama Association of Physicians of Indian Descent, the Huntsville India Association, and the Hindu Cultural Center of North Alabama. This Foundation-funded initiative brought early detection and lifesaving interventions to dozens of local families.

People of Indian descent face unique risks: heart disease can develop up to a decade earlier than average, is 4–6 times more common, and carries a 40% higher risk of death from heart attacks. That reality showed clearly in the Indian Descent Screening: of the patients screened, 40% had some degree of blockage.

“Surgery didn’t just change my life — it changed the way my family lives around me. It was a wake-up call for all of us,” Anupam said. “This experience reminded us of what really counts. Not noise, not stress, not distractions — but love, presence and connection.”

Because of you, what could have been a tragedy became a turning point. This is the power of giving that heals.