A year ago, Charles Geloff was recovering from open-heart surgery after a cardiac event that caught him and his family by surprise. Today, he’s preparing for the Greater Dayton Heart Walk as Team Troy’s ambassador, a role he accepted after being asked by his stepdaughter, Heather Mahaffy, a perioperative coordinator at Kettering Health Troy.
Mahaffy said she wanted to recognize the determination her stepfather showed throughout his recovery.
“I knew how hard he worked, and I wanted a way to recognize that,” she said. “I want to show him that he did it and will continue to do it. He is a rock star!”
She said watching him navigate the challenges of the past year made him a natural choice to represent Team Troy.
“I am very proud of him and think he can be an inspiration to a lot of people walking in a similar path of life,” she said.
For Geloff, the journey began last summer when increasing fatigue and sleepless nights became too difficult to ignore. What he initially dismissed as signs of aging turned out to be a serious heart condition that required open-heart surgery.
The turning point came in the early morning hours when he realized something was wrong.
“Something’s not right. I need you to take me to the hospital,” he recalled telling his wife, Lisa.
At the hospital, Geloff was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, and additional testing revealed multiple blockages and other heart issues that ultimately required open-heart surgery.
The diagnosis came as a shock. Geloff spent 20 years as a firefighter before launching his own security installation business, a physically demanding job that kept him active and often working long days. Like many people, he never expected to face a major heart issue.
For Lisa Geloff, administrative director for the Kettering Health Medical Group OB-GYN service line, seeing her husband suddenly become a patient was difficult.
“He was the strong one,” she said. “He’s the father, he’s the husband. Then suddenly I saw him in such a vulnerable, weak state. That was really, really hard.”
Throughout his hospitalization and recovery, family members rallied around him. Lisa said children, grandchildren and extended family filled hospital rooms, offered support and helped the family navigate an uncertain time. As a blended family with six children and eight grandchildren, the experience reinforced how important those relationships are.
Recovery didn’t end when Geloff left the hospital. Over the past year, he has worked to regain his strength, improve his diet and build healthier habits. He said he now walks regularly, pays close attention to sodium intake and has largely returned to the activities he enjoys.
The experience also changed his perspective on what matters most.
“I realized how important my faith is and how important my family is,” Geloff said.
The milestone of serving as Team Troy’s Heart Walk ambassador is another reminder of how far Geloff has come in a year. While he describes himself as a private person, he agreed to take on the role because of what the event represents and because of the support his family has shown.
Geloff hopes others can learn from his experience by paying attention to changes in their health and staying connected with their physician.
“If you’ve got white coat syndrome, get over it and at least get a fairly regular checkup,” he said.
This year’s Greater Dayton Heart Walk is scheduled for Sept. 26. The event raises awareness and support for heart health, CPR education, research and lifesaving programs.
