Media release from Atrium Health Floyd:
When Dale Clements suddenly struggled to breathe after fishing with his grandkids, he had no idea that moment would change the future of his entire family. What started as shortness of breath quickly led to a discovery.
After an echocardiogram and an urgent referral to Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center, Clements learned his heart wasn’t pumping properly, causing dangerous fluid buildup. Overnight at the hospital, he lost 15 pounds of fluid. At the same time, his father, Larry, was having episodes of racing heartbeat and breathlessness. Their shared Harbin Clinic cardiologist, Dr. Charlie Baggett, suspected something deeper, a genetic link.
A simple blood test confirmed it. Both father and son carried TTN, a genetic mutation connected to serious heart rhythm issues. But the story didn’t end there.
Dr. Baggett urged the family to continue testing. One by one, more relatives tested positive. For those living far away, test kits were mailed to Colorado and Alaska and sent back. More positive results followed.
What could have gone unnoticed for generations was finally visible and treatable.
“It’s such a simple test,” Dale Clements said. “You don’t have to stay in the hospital, and it isn’t painful. It’s worth being able to get the preventative care we need. My youngest brother has the gene, but there are no signs yet that he is having trouble. But the heart team already knows, and they are helping prevent tragedy where we might not have put two and two together.”
Now, with coordinated care from Atrium Health Floyd, Harbin Clinic cardiologists, the heart failure clinic and remote monitoring specialists, the Clements family has a clear path forward.
“We can’t know the past,” Larry Clements said, “but we can protect the future.”
Today, father and son are doing well and encouraging others not to wait when genetic testing is recommended.
“Trust your doctors,” Dale Clements said. “If they say it might help, don’t wait. This changed our family for generations to come.”
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