In spring 2023, a day trip to the Reagan Library quickly turned into a life-threatening emergency for South Bay resident Julius Bogdanowicz. As the day progressed, he grew unusually fatigued and struggled to walk, eventually returning home with a severely swollen leg. Alarmed, he and his wife, Barbara, consulted a neighbor, a retired ER physician, who urged them to head to the hospital immediately. At the emergency department at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center, an ultrasound revealed the cause: deep vein thrombosis. Julius had many blood clots in his leg.

An intense and fast-moving journey through critical care followed. Julius underwent two thrombectomies to remove dangerous blood clots, performed by interventional cardiologist, Rishi Kaushal, M.D. Just days later, a serious complication emerged — internal bleeding in his kidney triggered by anticoagulant therapy. Acting swiftly, Dr. Kaushal mobilized the Rapid Response Team. Within minutes, Julius was in a CT scanner, and shortly after, in the cath lab for an emergency procedure to stop the bleeding and stabilize his condition. “I can’t say enough about the excellent care I received from the doctors, nurses and staff.” Julius says.  “The speed, precision and skill of the medical team saved my life, not once, but twice. From the moment I arrived, every decision, every action, was made with urgency and expertise. Dr. Kaushal and his team didn’t hesitate. They saw the danger and acted immediately.  I truly believe that if I had been anywhere else, I wouldn’t be here today.”

After nearly two weeks in the hospital — including several days in the ICU — Julius made a full recovery.

Grateful for the exceptional care they received, he and Barbara chose to include Providence Little Company of Mary Foundation in their estate plans, designating their gift to support cardiology, the ICU and the hospital’s nursing caregivers.

A year after his initial hospitalization, Julius found himself back at Providence Little Company of Mary,   this time with a new diagnosis: atrial fibrillation (AFib). “My Apple Watch alerted me to an unusually high heart rate, and sure enough, the hospital confirmed I was in AFib,” he recalls.

Though his heart rhythm briefly stabilized, the AFib returned months later. That’s when Julius met Omar Yasin, M.D., an electrophysiologist specializing in the electrical system of the heart. Together, they decided on Pulse Field Ablation (PFA) — a new, minimally invasive procedure recently introduced at Providence Little Company of Mary.

Julius became one of the first patients at the hospital to undergo the PFA procedure, which uses high-voltage electrical pulses to ablate heart tissue with extraordinary precision. The result? Fewer complications, faster recovery and — most importantly for Julius — relief from his symptoms.

The procedure also revealed an unexpected anatomical anomaly in Julius’s veins — one found in just 0.02% of the population. Thanks to the team’s preparedness and experience, they were able to adapt mid-procedure and complete the treatment successfully.

Now with a normal heartbeat and abundant energy, Julius says he and Barbara feel a renewed sense of gratitude for the team that gave them their life  back twice.

“Barbara and I would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff for their efficient and compassionate care,“ Julius says. “We feel grateful to have Providence Little Company of Mary right in our backyard.”