Dameron Hospital | Health Outlook | Winter 2019

6 HEALTH OUTLOOK His heart is in the right place Open-heart surgery did not stop one man from making a difference in his community and beyond STEVE Abercrombie is not what you would call an average citizen. This active 57-year-old has enjoyed a law enforcement career that spans three decades, has been healthy and active, and continues to give back to the community. The former Tracy City Councilman is currently a police officer with the city of Tracy. “Officer Abs,” as he is known, has made a difference for people from all walks of life through community service in his different roles as an elected official, as a police officer and as a concerned citizen. As part of the Tracy Police Department, Abercrombie implemented the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program in classrooms throughout Tracy and then decided that he wanted to take community service to the next level. Making a difference as far as Africa Abercrombie was involved in a project to take seven high school students to Africa to build a library and help victims of human trafficking. He’d already helped to establish 30 libraries in Africa using book donations gathered by his Tracy D.A.R.E. students. It was in preparation for one of these trips that he went to see his doctor for a checkup to make sure his required immunizations were current. “My doctor told me there was something about my heartbeat that wasn’t normal,” recalls Abercrombie. “That led to more tests and a referral to a cardiologist, who then told me that I was not going on any trips for a while. I needed immediate surgery to replace a defective valve in my heart. I had noticed that sometimes I would feel light-headed during my workouts and certain activities, but I just shrugged it off as part of the normal aging process. Apparently that wasn’t the case.” Feeling fantastic after heart surgery “I was referred to Dr. Eric Keyser for open-heart surgery, and I was really nervous. My wife and I had so many questions, but the doctor was so patient