Quick ER diagnosis saves Elsah resident’s life

William McAnulty thought he might just be having an anxiety attack when he came to the Alton Memorial Hospital Emergency Department on Sept. 3. Had he known then what it actually was, his anxiety would have gone even higher.

Thanks to a quick diagnosis by Dr. David Burnside, an ER physician at AMH, the 36-year-old McAnulty was sent to Missouri Baptist Medical Center immediately and underwent a six-hour open heart surgery the following day, which likely saved his life. The Elsah native is thankful for the work done by Burnside and all the AMH Emergency Department team.

“I actually don’t remember a lot of what happened at Alton Memorial because I was out of it for much of the time,” McAnulty said. “I had shortness of breath and just didn’t feel very good at all.

Most were thinking it was just a panic attack, but Dr. Burnside noticed something and ordered a CT scan. There was a hole in my heart wall and an unusual amount of fluid leaking from my heart, and he recommended that I get sent to MoBap.”

Daily Specials

Lunch and Diner

At Missouri Baptist Medical Center, McAnulty was diagnosed with an infection and an aneurysm based on the CT scan done at AMH, which led to the surgery.

It’s not the way William and his wife, Joanna, would have preferred to spend their Labor Day weekend. But without Burnside’s diagnosis and the surgery performed Sept. 4 by Dr. Joshua Baker, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Missouri Baptist, it likely would have been William’s last weekend.

McAnulty was already being monitored by cardiologists at

AMH because of a bicuspid aortic valve, meaning the valve has two flaps (cusps) instead of three. It may cause a narrowed or obstructed aortic valve opening — aortic valve stenosis — making it difficult for the heart to pump blood into the aorta, the body's main artery.

“I was told that without the surgery that things would have burst and I wouldn’t have made it past Monday,” William said. “We’re just grateful that Dr. Burnside took the time to look at things so we could find out what was wrong.

McAnulty teaches seventhgrade social studies in the Ritenour (Mo.) School District, though now he’s on a three-month leave while he recovers. He had a few weeks of receiving antibiotics at the AMH Infusion Center before some physical therapy targeting his cardiovascular system.

“I’m feeling great now,” he said. “I know I’ll never feel as poorly as I did that Friday night when I came in. They have me on a heart-healthy diet for a while. It’s bland, but it’s nothing that I can’t do. It beats the alternative.”

Will McAnulty and Dr. David Burnside

McAnulty was in Missouri Baptist for nine days and is home now, walking a mile a day.

“They say I will have a better quality of life when all this therapy is over,” he said. “I’m fortunate to be here, and I have to thank Dr. Burnside for that.” 3

Vintage Voices sees record attendance

The 20th annual Vintage Voices took place in the Alton Cemetery and Jacoby Arts Center in October. Vintage Voices has become an important local tradition, an event where walking tours include stops at grave sites as actors in period costumes tell stories of their role in history. This year had a record attendance of 596 people. A commemorative 20th anniversary coaster was given to all guests after participating in the tours. Committee members work year-round to plan the event and are proud to keep the history of Alton alive. Committee members are Jody Basola, Diana

Enloe, Debbie Hagen, Jared Hennings, Claudia Herndon, Mark Hilgert, Barb Hinson, Margaret Hopkins, Don Huber, Marlene Lewis, John Lindsay, Lacy McDonald, Sharlene Meyer, Kerry Miller, Linda Nevlin, Sue Stanard, and Charlotte Stetson

The mission of Vintage Voices is to educate guests on the history of Alton and to give back to the community with donations to civic and community organizations. Those local organizations receiving donations this year are Alton Cemetery, Alton Community Service League, Alton

Knights of Columbus, Boys and Girls Club of Alton, Crisis Food Center, Hayner Genealogy Library, Oasis Women’s Center, Rotary Club of the Riverbend, The Salvation Army, YWCA.

“Our historians are already working on a list of decedents for next season,” said Jody Basola, committee chair. “There’s no shortage of interesting stories to tell.”

Vintage Voices returns each October on the first two Saturdays and Sundays and, when able, a non-walking tour is offered. Next season’s dates are Oct. 1, 2, 8, and 9. 3 facebook.com/ vintagevoicestours

Here are some of the top stories we’ve followed at Big Z Media over the last month, with most happening just a few weeks ago.

A tornado ripped across Madison County the evening of December 10, leaving behind a trail of destruction and claiming six lives. All those who perished were working a night shift at an Amazon warehouse near I-270 and Highway 111, where the wind was estimated to be around 150 miles per hour when the twister cut a path through the building. There were 45 other people inside the warehouse at the time who survived. Eleven different area police and fire departments, along with ambulance companies, responded to the scene on that Friday night, but the other response came from those in the trades. Men and women from around the region donated their time and just showed up to help with heavy equipment, hauling away debris, clearing power lines, whatever was needed that night. The same storm system killed one and injured two others in St. Charles County, Mo., and overall it was part of an evening of severe weather that struck the Midwest. One tornado is estimated to have been on the ground for more than 200 miles across four states with the worst damage in west-central Kentucky, where the town of Mayfield took a direct hit. If you want to donate locally to help those in need, contact the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. We sadly lost another area police officer in the line of duty in early December.

St. Louis County Police detective Antonio

Valentine was killed when a suspect driving at a high rate of speed crashed head on into a police vehicle while the suspect was trying to flee a traffic stop on Chambers Road in north St. Louis County. Detective Valentine had been with St. Louis County Police since 2007, was an Army combat