DUBLIN, Ga. — February is American Heart Month, and there's a doctor in Dublin who's healing hearts while being on his own healing journey.
Dr. Surender Malhotra works at Fairview Park Hospital, where he loves helping patients get their heart health under control.
"I love everything about it, you know...I try to open up the artery, and I relieve their symptoms. I make sure they don't die of a heart attack, so I think that's pretty rewarding," he said.
For as much as he loves healing hearts- he couldn't for the past three years.
Malhotra's family is from India, and he was visiting there a few years ago for a wedding. The groom in the wedding was riding a horse when the horse took a stumble. Malhotra rushed over to help. In that single moment, his life changed forever.
"My arm got caught in a big generator, which was just on the road. And I ended up losing my arm," he said.
He was taken to a hospital in Delhi, where he stayed in a coma for weeks. When he woke up from the surgery and blood loss, he realized he had a choice to make.
"Life has a way of hitting you with a brick. But then it's up to you whether you get up or just go down. So I just decided to fight back," Malhotra said.
And that fight he put up brought him back to doing what he loves- helping patients. He knew adjusting to his new normal wouldn't be easy. However, his peers and hospital CEO Don Avery championed for Malhotra to return.
"He's maybe one of the kindest, most compassionate people I know. And he communicates that with his patients. He cares about them," Avery said.
It's something Avery knows firsthand.
"Dr. Malhotra is as good as there is, in my opinion. I mean, he's my cardiologist," Avery said.
When Avery developed heart disease a couple of years ago, he said Malhotra caught it early.
He was there for Avery, and now- Avery's there for him.
"We're proud to be a part of that journey. But it's not about us; it's really about him and his ability to continue caring for his patients," Avery said.
Malhotra said it took a lot of physical therapy and spending time in their catheterization laboratory practicing. After completing 25 operations with assistance and supervision, Malhotra recently got recredentialed to operate on his own again.
At first, he was nervous around his patients.
"But they were very supportive. They were very appreciative, and they encouraged me, and they said doc, we see you for your brain. So it doesn't matter if you don't have an arm. We'll come and see you," Malhotra said.
And now he's back to helping his patients and trying to inspire them along the way, too.
"I wanted to be an example for my children, for my patients. You know, I tell my patients all the time you need to get up and move and do the right thing. And when my time came, the rules are still the same," Malhotra said.
The arm that he lost was his primary arm. Malhotra said he's thankful for everyone at Fairview Park Hospital who encouraged him to come back to work.