10/27/2026
Bob Akers began having heart problems soon after he lost his wife, June. “We met when I was 16 and we were married for 49 years,” he says. “Losing her was like losing my connection to the outside world.”
The silver lining of Bob’s health issues, then, was that both his physical and emotional health were restored by our cardiologist Dr. Theodore Schreiber and the cardiac rehabilitation team at Henry Ford Warren Hospital.
Dr. Schreiber found that Bob had a 90% blockage in one of his arteries. He inserted a small mesh tube, called a stent, to keep the artery open and restore blood flow to the heart. He recommended that Bob attend cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, our personalized exercise program aimed at strengthening the heart and body after a serious heart incident.
“Joining the rehab program was the best thing that could have happened to me,” Bob says. “The supervised exercise gave me the confidence to rebuild my physical strength. Just as importantly, the professional, genuinely compassionate staff helped me reconnect with the world. I enjoyed the exercise and camaraderie so much that I never missed a day.”
Bob shared that he and June loved dressing up for Halloween and had collected costumes over the years. On a friendly dare, he started wearing a different costume to rehab for holidays and special occasions. “Everyone seems to enjoy it, so I try to outdo myself each time,” he says.
After completing rehab, Bob moved on to our PREVENT program, which provides education, supervised exercise and group classes for those with all types of chronic illnesses and health concerns. Today, Bob is getting stronger every day and is so grateful to his care team.
“They create an environment where you feel at ease, supported and truly cared for,” Bob says. “Their dedication and warmth make all the difference on the journey toward better health.”
