Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 9, 1990 TAG: 9003123163
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: ROBERTA GREEN SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: FLOYD LENGTH: Medium
"If that's the only chance I have, I'm going to take it," Dalton, 94, said when confronted with the reality of the needed surgery.
The operation at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital in Richmond lasted five to six hours. A pig's heart valve was placed in Dalton's chest.
Recalling further the conversation on the way to Richmond, June Quesenberry, one of Dalton's two daughters, remembers being hesitant and worried as they drove her to Richmond.
"`Are you sure you want to go through with this?' I asked her, and she answered, `Why do you think I'm going all this way?' I've just never seen anyone so spunky."
Victor Dalton, son of the patient, recognizes his mother's enthusiasm and strength.
"She wanted her story in the paper to let people know that a 94-year-old could do this. She had her mind made up and also has planned to have cataract surgery when she's over this."
One of Dalton's physicians, Dr. David Newton, a Radford internist, called Dalton "a remarkable woman with a strong will to recover from her illness."
Despite her optimism, however, she has had a difficult year, said Quesenberry, who underwent eye surgery herself in early February.
Dalton has been "in and out of the hospital since last January," Quesenberry said. "First, she had the balloon procedure, but that didn't work. She spent six weeks in Richmond for that. Then she went back for the valve replacement. Since then she's had flare-ups, but she always snaps back."
As further evidence of Dalton's snap-back determination, she had new rugs installed in her house recently and asked her children to help her arrange for other renovations.
Dalton re-entered the hospital in early February suffering from what the family believes was the flu. She also is being treated for cardiac illness.
Dalton is now resting at home, where she is cared for by Quesenberry and her other daughter, Maywood Reece. She is very weak.
"Her spirits are good and she's recovering," Quesenberry said. "They've done the best they could, and she's hanging in there. She has faith, and a lot of us have been praying for her. Now it's in the good Lord's hands."
Dalton has 12 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
by CNB