On an August morning, Derrick Hall left his home in Waukegan for a shopping trip with his mother, Lisa Zebedee. Despite mentioning he had vomited earlier, Hall felt well enough to continue their plans. Shortly after, Zebedee noticed her son clutching his chest and realized he might be having a heart attack.
“About 15 to 20 minutes later, I heard a sudden grunt and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Derrick’s arm come up, pressed tightly against his chest,” said Zebedee. “I asked again, ‘Are you okay?’ but when I turned to look at him fully, he said nothing. The look in his eyes is something that still haunts me to this day.”
Zebedee drove Hall to the emergency department at Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital.
“I drove right up to the ER doors, telling the man behind the counter, ‘My son’s having a heart attack.’ Derrick walked in on his own, still holding his arm against his chest,” recalled Zebedee. “They took him into a room right away while I waited in what felt like an eternity of silence in the waiting room. From then on everything was overwhelming and unfamiliar.”
Hall was diagnosed with a non–ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), caused by a partial blockage in a coronary artery. Further tests revealed advanced coronary artery disease that was more severe than usually seen at his age.
“When blood flow is reduced, the heart struggles to function; it’s unable to beat properly and becomes deprived of oxygen, which damages the heart muscle and can quickly become life threatening,” explained Ricardo Boix Garibo, MD, cardiac surgeon at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital. “Time is critical during a heart attack. His mother’s quick recognition of symptoms and decision to get him to the hospital quickly likely saved Derrick’s life and prevented more extensive damage to his heart.”
After initial stabilization, Hall was transferred to Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital for surgery later that week. However, within hours of arrival his condition worsened.
“Despite an intra‑aortic balloon pump and nitroglycerine drip, Derrick continued to have significant chest pain,” said Dr. Boix. “His risk was increasing quickly. We made the decision to take him for emergency surgery.”
Dr. Boix performed coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with support from a multidisciplinary team.
“Heart surgery requires a highly coordinated team effort — from the surgeon, cardiologists, anesthesia staff, physician assistants and perfusion teams to our nurses and ICU staff. Every individual plays a vital role,” Dr. Boix said. “At McHenry Hospital, we are privileged and fortunate enough to have an exceptional team prepared to respond rapidly in emergency situations. Their skill, dedication, and teamwork are reflected in outstanding patient outcomes such as this one.”
Hall recovered well after surgery and continues regular follow-up visits as he works on regaining strength.
“I know it will take time, but I’m feeling good and continuing to improve,” said Hall. “I am increasing my walking distance and I just had a stress test, which went well. I am looking forward to getting back to how I was before the heart attack.”
Zebedee praised the hospital staff for their care during her son’s treatment.
“A room was ready the second he arrived. There were monitors, wires—people moving quickly but with complete control,” Zebedee said. “They allowed us to stay with him, talked us through everything, and never made us feel like we were in the way. Their compassion stayed with us.”
She also credited Dr. Boix for clear communication throughout Hall’s care.
“He was calm, gentle, and honest,” said Zebedee. “He explained the plan without rushing, always giving us time to ask questions. After the surgery, he checked on Derrick regularly and walked us through every detail of what he had done. His patience and kindness meant everything.”
“Dr. Boix was incredible through the whole thing,” recalled Hall. “He always took the time to explain what was going on, what was going to happen and what I could expect. He listened to me and my family when we had questions.”
The family wrote letters thanking Dr. Boix and ICU staff for their efforts.
“We needed them to know what they did for us,” Lisa said. “They didn’t just care for Derrick; they cared for our family. Dr. Boix is our hero, and the entire team will always hold a place in our hearts.”
Hall’s case highlights that coronary artery disease can affect younger adults without warning or family history.
“I had no idea heart disease could happen to me especially at 35,” said Hall.
Coronary artery disease often progresses silently until it causes serious problems like reduced blood flow or even life-threatening events if untreated.
According to health experts at Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital—and consistent with national data—heart disease remains one of America’s leading causes of death; many people are unaware they have cardiovascular disease until symptoms appear or an event occurs.
“Prevention and early detection are critical,” Dr. Boix said.“Derrick’s story is a powerful reminder that heart disease does not always look the way we expect.Knowing your personal risk factors including family history,and focusing on lifestyle that emphasizes exercise healthy nutrition,and sleep are first steps in keeping your heart healthy.”
Northwestern Medicine offers risk reduction programs based on lifestyle changes as well as genetic factors.The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute provides resources such as online Heart Risk Assessment tools.For further information about Northwestern Medicine’s cardiovascular services visit nm.org/heart or call 312.NM.HEART (312-664-3278).
Northwestern Medicine operates under its parent organization Northwestern Memorial HealthCare (source). The system focuses on patient-centered care along with education and research (source). Howard B.Chrisman serves as president & CEO (source). Northwestern Medicine has received national recognition for physician well-being initiatives,humanitarian awards honoring community service,and strategic collaborations advancing clinical research(source).
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