Andrew Lerud

Andrew had an active childhood, involved in basketball, football and other sports. As a young adult, his energy level declined, leaving him with continuous exhaustion.

“I would come home from work, take a nap for a couple hours, get up and try to be active and then I would go to bed early and get as much sleep as possible to make it through the next day,” said Andrew.

For years, doctors thought he had asthma; at age 20 he was diagnosed with a heart murmur. Andrew’s energy continued to decline, which he attributed to CPA exam studies while working. His aunt recommended he visit the Minneapolis Heart Institute.

Andrew consulted with Dr. Marc Newell and learned he had a bicuspid aortic valve that required surgery because of aortic stenosis. Dr. Frazier Eales replaced his aortic valve with a mechanical one, and he made a full recovery. Andrew returned to exercising and is engaged to be married this year; he and his fiancée hope for a long life together.

Paying it Forward

Andrew chose to become a donor to the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation® through his employer Bell Bank’s “Pay It Forward” program.

“I was so impressed with the level of expertise, care and treatment I received from everyone at MHI,” said Andrew. “Given the chance to give back to them is something that I continue to look forward to doing. Prior to my heart surgery, an organization such as MHIF would not have crossed my mind. Since then, awareness of heart conditions has become a cause I care deeply about.”

Your support helps MHIF provide better options to people like Andrew.