OCR Text |
Show Wednesday. February 9, 2005 CI Expressions B asin Life Community Calendar ' 1) Emmett Heath By Carissa J. Magee Express Writer When talking or thinking think-ing about hearts the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the shape you make on a Valentine card or a sweet, gushy love letter let-ter written to your sweetheart. But that's not the case for one man, Emmett Heath from Dutch John. . Emmett grew up in the Salt Lake City area just at the mouth of Parley's Canyon, close to his fishing spot of Millcreek. After graduating high school, Emmett went into the Air Force where he spent the next four years stationed in New York, Spokane and then Vietnam. He was part of the Strategic Air Command security, guarding missile and weapon sites. After returning home from war, he became a student at University of Utah, studying biology, geology and geography. geogra-phy. While in college he worked as ranger in some of the State Parks around the Wasatch Front and began getting more and more involved in fly-fishing. He spent every minute of his spare time in the outdoors, hiking and fishing the Uinta and Boulder Mountain areas. Emmett began working at Angler's Inn, a store for the fly-fishing enthusiast when it opened around 1976. Soon he became be-came manager and continued to work there for nearly ten years. Throughout his childhood Em-. Em-. mett had fished the Green River many times and it quickly became be-came his favorite fishing spot in the entire state. After a decade of management manage-ment experience Emmett was ready to begin his own business busi-ness in the fishing industry. He, along with good friend and fishing partner Steve Schmidtt, began Western Rivers Flyfisher, Flyshop and Guide Service. That was when Emmett made . the move to the Dutch John area. He managed the guides and Steve managed the shop. "It was a great combination," said Emmett. "We really had it figured out." While Western Rivers began getting more competition with more businesses starting in the area, Emmett continued to be the only full time guide who lived in the area nearly year-round. year-round. His experiences brought him wonderful friends in the fishing industry. "The fishing family is one of more people than you could ever imagine. It is amazing to see how a tight knit group we really re-ally are even though it's a very large industry," says Emmett. He was also selected as Fly Rod and Reel Magazine's Guide of the Year in 1992. In late June 1996 Emmett and two of his clients were headed down to the river for a day of floating and fishing. Emmett had been suffering from a case of the flu for a couple of days but was still ready to get out on the water. While preparing to launch they were told that some problems prob-lems had been going on at the dam and workers were forced to release quite a bit of water into the river, thus causing the water to be very murky and the fishing fish-ing to be more difficult. After discussing this with the clients, they all decided maybe it would be better to postpone the fishing for a day or two. Since there was not much else to do they decided decid-ed this would be a great time for Emmett to visit the doctor's office of-fice in Vernal and check out this "flu" of his. While sitting in the doctor's office Emmett began to cough as he had for the last week or so. The doctor was about to send him home but decided to do a quick X-ray first While heading back from X-ray, again Emmett went into a coughing fit and this time began to cough "bubbles," as he called them. He had fluid on his lungs and recalls hearing 'I Getting to of the matter T cr. J9S Emmett Heath still enjoys the days of c Emmett Heath holds the catch of the the nurses say "I have the nitro ready." At that point he knew it was something to do with his heart. "The strangest thing was that I did not have a lot of pain. They said I could have had multiple heart attacks leading up to this point and I just thought I had the flu." With his many friends and clients over the years, Emmett was able to contact some of the best cardiologists in the Salt Lake City area. Before he knew it he was admitted to the University of Utah for multiple tests and, as he puts it, "a lot of poking and prodding." They kept him there for nearly two months and finally released him for home in late August. Before he was released they proceeded to tell him that his heart was damaged considerably consid-erably and most likely would not be able to repair itself. He would consequently be in need of a transplant. Emmett returned to Dutch John and desperately tried to hang on to the slim chance that his heart could recuperate with no transplant. He seemed to be doing okay until just around Christmas time, when he continually con-tinually got worse. He had to return re-turn to the University Hospital and see his doctors once again. This, unbeknownst, to him, would be the last time he would be in Dutch John for close to two years. They admitted him and he was placed on the transplant trans-plant list U W -JSv-- &r J 1 fishing he has always loved. Probably day. When Emmett was admitted to the hospital, and over the next few years, he was in many different rooms on many different dif-ferent floors of the hospital, including in-cluding intensive care. He remembers always having hav-ing many visitors, sometimes up to 10 or 15 people at once. Throughout his life and career as a fishing guide Emmett has taken many famous people including in-cluding such stars as Lonnie Anderson, Tom Selleck, Don Johnson, Tiger Woods, Richard Rich-ard Prior, Woody Harrelson, and many more. He has made quite a large group of friends throughout his life. "I never realized I had so many friends. The girls at the desk kept questioning everyone, 'Who is he?' when talking about me. They were always amazed at the number of cards, flowers and gifts I received." Emmett says the answer that sticks in his mind most was that of one close friend, "We're just a close little fishing family, that's all." While waiting for his transplant trans-plant Emmett went through many surgeries and tests during dur-ing his hospitalization. At one point he even had a defibrillator defibrilla-tor implanted and recalls being shocked by it a time or two. "I was sitting at a desk once talking on the phone to a friend and then I woke up and didn't know where I was. I couldn't see, but that was because my glasses were thrown across the room. Eventually I noticed the phone lying there and I picked A WTL A I t ' II ir--s-sr - 1 I V W V f II W7&Ul WWW the heart more so today. Emmett and Holly enjoy the fishing is very much into the craft of tying problem with testing out her bugs. it up and said 'hello'. My friend was still there. He said I must have been out for just a few seconds. He said he knew something some-thing was wrong. I couldn't believe be-lieve it but the defibrillator had shocked my heart," remembers EJmmett. During this whole ordeal, a close friend, Holly, became very involved in Emmett's life. She soon became his full time caretaker care-taker in and out of the hospital. "Holly and I were good friends before, but when I got sick she just stepped up and did everything she could to help out," says Emmett He also had a lot of help from his father who was still living in the Salt Lake area house of Emmett's childhood. child-hood. After waiting a long time for his transplant Emmett went through many ups and downs and watched many nurses, doctors, doc-tors, and friends come and go. He eventually became part of the family at the hospital as well. He taught fly tying lessons, les-sons, did slide shows about fishing, fish-ing, and even taught a few of the hospital's staff how to cast on the lawn outside. One week in September, while feeling terrible, Emmett remembers seeing many of his "family" coming to visit him all at once. That day they allowed him to go home with Holly. Emmett's dad had gone on an antelope hunt in Wyoming with friends and was not due back for about a week. Holly, Emmett Em-mett and a few friends came for dinner that evening. While the dinner looked very good Emmett decided he wasn't very I I 1 . industry together these days. Holly flies and Emmett, of course, has no hungry that evening and just sat visiting at the table with his friends. "For some reason I just really didn't want to eat that evening." In the middle of dining, the phone rang. It was the hospital, there was a heart available for Emmett. They packed up his things as quickly as possible and headed for the hospital. "I remember being excited but very afraid at the same time," says Emmett. Emmett's dad had gotten an antelope that very day and did not spend one night in Wyoming. He was able to be there just before Emmett went into surgery Emmett got his new heart on September 11, 1999. "I was out of surgery and walking a few steps by that very afternoon." He had to relearn a few things with coordination and had to get his strength up through exercise. Later that fall he was able to visit one of the many fishing functions, the Fly, Tackle Dealership Show in Salt Lake where he walked around, with nurse in tow, and visited with his many fishing friends. "I couldn't believe how good it felt to breathe. I didn't realize how bad I had really felt" said Emmett Emmett is now back in Dutch John, where he loves to be, and is managing a fly shop once again. As for Holly and Emmett, Em-mett, they were married just over a year ago. Some say to get to a woman's heart a man must first use his own. What a new meaning this takes on for Emmett Em-mett Heath. February 11 Community dance at the Golden Age Center, 155 South 100 West 8-10 p.m. every Friday night Kay's Band provides pro-vides the music. February 14 Valentine's Day at Uintah County Library. Throughout the day materials will be provided pro-vided for families to create a Valentine. February 15 The Family History Center will be teaching a class on Census-How Does It Work? by Karen Coombs at 5:00 p.m. February 16 The Family History Center will be teaching a class on Census-How Does it Work? by Karen Coombs at 7 p.m. Uintah County Literacy Commission, Uintah School District and Prime Time 4 Kids are sponsoring a Baby Book Shower for all new parents par-ents at Prime Time 4 Kids in Vernal starting at 10:30 a.m. Free literacy packets, including includ-ing books ($320.00 value), door prizes, and light refreshments will be provided. February 17 The Family History Center will be teaching a class on Using Time Lines by Pam Pease at 7 p.m. Take charge of your Money' five-series workshop will be held Feb. 17, 24, March 3, 17, 24 from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. in the Extension Conference Room on the third floor of the State and County Building. Cost is $15.00 (spouse's free) which covers the workbook that will become your personal per-sonal financial notebook. For more information contact Ronda Olsen, USU Extension Family and Consumer Science Agent at 781-5452. February 18 Community dance at the Golden Age Center, 155 South 100 West, 8-10 p.m. every Friday night. Kay's Band pro vides the music. . f February 22 The Family History Center will be teaching a class on Census on the Internet by Karen Coombs at 5 p.m. February 23 The Family History Center will be teaching a class on Census on the Internet by Karen Coombs at 7:00 p.m. The Rising Star Riders, a family saddle club, will hold a meeting at Vernal City Offices at 7:00 p.m. The meeting meet-ing is open to the public. For more information call Jacque at (435) 789-2367. February 24 The Family History Center will be teaching a class on Using Time Lines by Pam Pease at 5:30 p.m. Second workshop in the series Take charge of your Money' at Extension Conf. room from 7-9 p.m. Next three classes on Mar. 3, 17 and 24. For more information contact Ronda Olsen, USU Extension Family and Consumer Science Agent at 781-5452. February 25 Community dance at the Golden Age Center, 155 South 100 West, 8-10 p.m. every Friday night Kay's Band provides pro-vides the music. February 26 2005 Garden Symposium to be held at USU, VernaL Registration from 8:30-9 a.m. Classes from 9 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. For more information call USU Extension 435 781-5452. 781-5452. March 3 Third workshop in the series Take charge of your Money' at Extension Conf. room from 7-9 p.m. Next two classes on Mar. 17 and 24. For more information contact Ronda Olsen, USU Extension Family and Consumer Science Agent at 781-5452. Te ptocc ItMs of piiHc Merest m to mvlSbtpntt, P.O. fax WOO, tMN, fCtortvtnMLcMR, er cil tfet VnIExpruat7tt-3Sn. t |