Most everybody in Henry County, and a lot of SE Iowa, know Jim Holaday. Back in the early nineties he started a business called Holaday Satellite, installing 10' satellite dishes. Remember those? Jim's reputation as a hard worker and provider of excellent equipment and service was well established. He had a young man, Efrain Gutierrez, working for him who dug the 4' deep holes for the center post. The 10' dishes were soon replaced by the smaller saucers of Direct and Dish, and Jim Holaday worked seven days a week installing them.

Jim eventually sold Holaday Satellite to Efrain and became an employee of Holaday Satellite. The well known name of Holaday Satellite remained the same. Why change a name that's time honored?

Recently, Jim, in his mid sixties, noticed that he was, on occasion, short of breath. When this happened, he would take three aspirins and, in half-an-hour, feel better. He didn't give it much thought. Efrain was doing most of the heavy work anyway, so it all worked out.

However, on June 3rd of this year, Jim was sitting in their Mt. Pleasant office sweating profusely. He soaked three paper towels. Efrain, not liking how Jim looked, said, "I'm taking you to the Emergency Room. Let's go."

Long story short, Efrain took Jim to the emergency room at Henry County Health Center (HCHC). HCHC transported Jim by ambulance to the SE Iowa Regional Health Center in Burlington (Great River Medial Center), and Great River air lifted Jim the next day to the University of Iowa Hospital. He was there a week-and-a-half. His heart was barely functioning, even after installing balloons to open up clogged arteries. They sent Jim home to die.

However, the heart of a 35-year old person became available. Jim was called back to the University of Iowa Hospital and they told him he was going to have a heart transplant the next morning. Jim actually video recorded the heart arriving at the hospital.

On Sunday morning, August 4th, at 6:00 am, Jim underwent eight-and-a-half hours of surgery to receive a new heart. He came to with a tube down his throat and another in his nose. He could barely move his arms, they were so swollen with fluid. But he was alive. He's just now starting to get his voice back.

All-in-all, Jim was in the hospital three months, minus the week-and-a-half he was home. It took him a while to regain the use of his hands to where he could feed himself. He thanks his life partner for the great care she gave and continues to give him.

Jim now sits in the office in Mt. Pleasant and lets Efrain do most of the work. Jim doesn't even answer the phone because it rings through to the Holaday Satellite office in Burlington. If someone walks into the Mt. Pleasant office, Jim will assist them. People hardly recognize him, he has lost so much weight. He is down to 138 lbs from 171. But people are happy to see him and amazed at his story of a heart attack and heart transplant. He turned 65 on July 5th. He will be on anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life. Jim thinks that by spring he will be able to do more work to assist Efrain who saved his life. Jim smiles and says that he doesn't like going out on the snow and ice anyway.

Amazingly, like a miser who won't throw anything away, the University of Iowa Hospital can use Jim's old heart for spare parts. The valves and arteries can be reused in other peoples' hearts. Modern medicine has come so far.

Jim wants everyone to know that he is alive and getting stronger everyday. You probably won't see him on a roof in the future, but he is here, with a new heart, to help Holaday Satellite usher in the era of live streaming. God willing.

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Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him at [email protected]. Curt is available for public speaking.