Lafayette Gatewood III, 56, of St. Louis, Mo., has been a high school teacher and football coach for 28 years. In July of 2019, Lafayette was on the football field at practice, like he is most days, when he developed a blister on his foot. With a history of diabetes and kidney failure, he became particularly worried when his foot swelled up.

In July 2021, Cheryl Koch, 74, of Florissant, Mo., was eating at a restaurant when she noticed her food wouldn’t go down. Concerned, she returned home. Her chest was tightening, and her blood pressure was alarmingly high. Her neighbor called 911, and the paramedics told her she needed to go to the emergency room (ER) right away.

Ron Komlos doesn’t think about lung cancer anymore since a robotic lung lobectomy determined he was cancer free. His mind has been set ever since on enjoying life thanks to the cardiothoracic team at Christian Hospital.