Jackson Heart Institute Saves Missouri Dentist from Potentially Fatal Aortic Tear

By: Ruelle Champion

When Dr. Sam Huckabee set out on a mission trip to Harmons, Jamaica in June 2025, he expected to spend the week giving back with Won by One to Jamaica by offering free dentistry services to the community. Alongside his wife, son, and two of his son’s friends who were recent dental school graduates, their team of five saw nearly 180 patients in just four days. The final day was meant to be slow and relaxing as they prepared to go home.

But at 4 a.m. on the morning of June 13, things changed.

“I woke up with a sharp pain between my shoulder blades,” Dr. Huckabee said. “I thought maybe it was just muscle strain from leaning over patients all week. But as the pain got worse, I woke my wife and told her, ‘I think I might be having a heart attack.’”

His wife, Melanie, took his blood pressure. Even though the results were normal, the pair were still concerned about Dr. Huckabee’s intense pain and called for paramedics. Among another mission group in Harmons was an 82-year-old man from Pennsylvania, whose daughter packed the exact medication Dr. Huckabee needed to ease his pain.

“When one of our paramedics asked if anyone had nitroglycerin, that man said yes. I took two pills, and it gave me just enough relief to keep going,” he said.

Melanie coordinated Dr. Huckabee’s commute to Kingston and flight to Miami. During the descent, the pressure change brought searing pain.

“I knew then there was no way I could make it home to Kansas City,” Dr. Huckabee said. “I needed help right away.”

Luckily, the wheelchair attendant who assisted him sensed the urgency.

“I told him, ‘I think I’m having a heart attack.’ He said, ‘Yes, sir,’ and took off running. In a record 10 minutes, we cleared customs at Miami International Airport,” he said.

Dr. Huckabee’s son, Samuel Huckabee, directed their Uber driver not to the nearest emergency room, but to Jackson Memorial Hospital, after research into the best destination for critical heart care.

“He said, ‘Absolutely not; we’re taking him to Jackson.’ And thank God he did,” Dr. Huckabee said.

The Huckabees arrived at Jackson Memorial around 7 p.m. the same day. Dr. Huckabee’s blood pressure was normal, his EKG showed no signs of heart attack, and his chest X-ray came back clear. He was still in extreme pain through it all, but a CT scan quickly changed the course of his care.

“At 10 p.m., my doctor came in and said, ‘I don’t have good news. You have an aortic dissection; it’s deadly,” Dr. Huckabee recalled. “You’ll be in surgery within an hour.’”

“About 50 percent of patients with Dr. Huckabee’s diagnosis don’t make it to the hospital,” added Farhang Yazdchi, MD, medical director of aortic surgery for Jackson Heart Institute.

The dissection, or tear, in Dr. Huckabee’s aorta needed to be fixed immediately. Dr. Yazdchi explained that his diagnosis could have led to a heart attack, blood pooling in the area around his heart, damage to the aortic valve, or even a complete aortic rupture, which is often deadly.

“The mortality of this disease exponentially goes up by hour in the first 24 hours, so it’s very important to get these patients in a timely manner,” Dr. Yazdchi said.

Dr. Yazdchi explained to Dr. Huckabee that during surgery, his aorta was replaced up until the mid-arch with a tube graft. He woke up from surgery pain-free.

Dr. Huckabee spent six days in Jackson Memorial’s ICU, cared for by what he described as, “the best nurses he’s ever had in his entire life.” He learned that hundreds back home, from his church congregation to his dental patients, were praying for him to recover.

“I truly believe that’s why I’m here,” he said. “By the grace of God and because of the prayers of friends, family, and people who cared about me.”

Now, Dr. Huckabee is back home in Missouri, surrounded by family, friends, and his church community. He’s easing into caring for patients, navigating new medications, and even returned to a beloved family tradition of deer hunting with his sons.

”I can’t tell you how many cards and letters I got saying ‘we’re praying for you,’” he said. “I truly believe that’s why I’m here. It’s the grace of God and the faith of His followers, friends, and family that were praying for me the whole time.”