When “You’re Fine” Isn’t Fine

If you know Ann McBrien, you know she’s a dynamo. A partner for 40 years to her husband, Ed; she is also the mother of Kate, 35, and Matt, 29. A retired entrepreneur and consultant, she broke barriers as the first woman to serve as vice president of sales for Procter & Gamble’s global healthcare division—and still finds time to volunteer, run, play golf and pursue pickleball.

So, when Ann began feeling tired in 2020, it seemed like a cause of concern. “I had known I had a genetic heart valve issue from the time I was in my early 20s,” recalls the 66-year-old. “When I reached my 50s – we were living in Chicago at the time – my doctor told me I should start getting it checked annually.”

In 2015, Ann and her family made the move to Hilton Head, South Carolina where she diligently kept up with her annual echocardiograms. But by 2020, something changed. “I just wasn’t feeling great,” she says. “I had no energy and even going out for a walk left me tired.”

A Phone Call Changes Everything

Suspecting a worsening of her heart condition, Ann knew she had to be frank with her cardiologist. But she found herself disappointed by his response. “He told me, ‘You don’t need an echocardiogram; you’re fine. You’re just getting old.’”

While it took a month of self-advocating, Ann eventually got her echocardiogram. As she feared, the results showed the need for immediate surgery.

The road to treatment continued to be bumpy, leaving Ann both frustrated and a little panicked. When her appointment with an out-of-state cardiac surgeon was abruptly cancelled, a dear friend reached out with lifesaving advice: You should be at Cleveland Clinic, she told Ann. After all, it’s the best hospital for heart care.

Ann’s friend was also a friend of Charlie Miner, a retired managing director of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. “I’m going to call Charlie and see what he can do,” the friend promised.

“Cleveland Clinic called me the very next morning,” Ann recalls. “And I was in tears. I said oh, my gosh, you care about me. You care! After all I had gone through up to that point, I just couldn’t believe it.”

After that call, events moved swiftly. Within days, she received a call from the office of Eric Roselli, MD, Chief of Adult Cardiac Surgery in Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Dr. Roselli’s staffer assured Ann that the doctor would review her medical records and would soon be back in touch to discuss the next steps.

“Actually, I was on the golf course, with friends, when Dr. Roselli’s nurse called back – it was in early November – and she said Dr. Roselli could perform my surgery on Nov. 23! I stood right there bawling. I was dumbfounded; it was just incredible.”

A Gift to Support Research

While complex, the surgery – an aortic valve and root replacement – was a complete success, and Ann is now back to her old self, playing tennis, pickleball, golf and running. In fact, in October 2025, at the age of 65, she completed – with her daughter Katie – her first Chicago Marathon. “It still brings tears to my eyes,” Ann says. “We left the starting line together and crossed the finish line together: What a gift.”

Since her surgery, Ann has extended her support to Cleveland Clinic, where she and Ed have become members of the Cornerstone Society. She hopes her generosity can be used for continued research to make surgery, such as the one she had, “easier and better in the future.”

Ann also has a personal investment in the future of cardiac surgery. “I shared some of my same genetic heart valve issues with Katie and Matt,” she says. “Both of them are very healthy now, but they will need to be checked for the rest of their lives.”

Following her surgery, Dr. Roselli told Ann that, thus far, she was one of only a handful of patients on whom he had performed the challenging aortic root and valve replacement surgery, a major cardiac intervention that involved cutting, replacing and moving several coronary arteries to prevent a fatal rupture.

“I’m healthy now,” Ann says. “And Dr. Roselli is a rock star. He truly is. He saved my life and I can’t thank him enough.”

Reflecting on why she cares so deeply about supporting Cleveland Clinic, “They care. That place runs like a well-oiled machine: They call you back, they follow up; they treat you like you’re somebody,” she says. “They really care and I’m so grateful for that.”