Helping others is nothing new to John Hoffman, recently retired Braxton County (OES) Director. Being the focal point of a multistate advertising campaign for one of the biggest medical providers in the eastern United States is.
For six generations the Hoffman family has helped others through emergency services. John Hoffman proudly carried that tradition into his hometown fire department at the age of 17, in Millville, NJ. That beginning led to a lifetime of service for Hoffman including a distinguished career with the US Coast Guard and more recently a six-year stint-heading the Office of Emergency Services (OES) in Braxton County.
John’s normal life took an abrupt turn on September 14, 2023, when he went to his family doctor for fatigue. That examination led to his referral to the Ruby United Memorial Hospital Heart Team. Further testing didn’t go well for the man who was normally administering care opposed to receiving it. Doctors told John that his cardiac condition was serious and that he would not be leaving the hospital without a transplant.
So, for 15 days John survived in his bed at Ruby with the aid of a heart pump and the 66-year old’s name on the transplant list. Then word came that a heart was available, and John would undergo surgery the following day. “That was a surreal experience. I had managed to stay upbeat during my stay in the hospital, but when they told me a heart was available, it dawned on me that someone had to die so I could live. I have spent my life helping others and that was something I had problems coming to grips with,” Hoffman explained.
Ten days later, John Hoffman – walked – out of Ruby Memorial with a new heart and a new lease on life. By January 16, 2024, his doctors had released him to return to work with no restrictions. “The team at Ruby thought I did a remarkable job of recovering. The overall experience was extremely gratifying. Not only did I receive superb health care, a new heart and a new lease on life, but I made a lot of new friends along the way. Everyone I came in contact with was so kind, professional and caring, I know I couldn’t have been in better hands,” he added.
A lot happened in John’s life after he returned to work. The county took possession of a new arial apparatus for the county’s fire departments which he was instrumental in securing. The County hired an EMS director which John had been overseeing. He was back to teaching classes. In general John was “feeling so much better.”
In mid-year John decided to retire from his position as OES/9-1-1 Director. Though he is absent from county emergency management he is not retired from helping others. He is still an active member of the Flatwoods Community Fire Department and the County Ladder Truck Battalion. He does consulting work, takes FEMA assignments and assists with planning and evaluating emergency exercises throughout the eastern US.
He is also the star of WVU Medicine’s transplant program advertising campaign. That role has led to John and his story of “Sometimes, Even Heros Need Rescued” recently being featured in a full-page color print advertisement in the Clarksburg Newspapers. According to David DiBartolomeo, Director Client Services & Physician Relations in the Marketing and Communications department of WVU Medicine, that ad has or will appear in more than 50 print media outlets throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.
In addition, WVU Medicine’s team has recorded two video segments detailing Hoffman’s experience that will be used in conjunction with television advertising, beginning in April and spanning a 3-to-4-month period, throughout the region.
John Hoffman says he is a lucky man in more ways than one. “A lot of divine intervention and the great heart and vascular team at Ruby has brought me to a new place in my life and I couldn’t be more thankful.”
So, whether it’s a fire engine answering an alarm in your area. A class you are taking. An ad in your local newspaper or a commercial during the 6:00 news… watch for John Hoffman. Now that he has been rescued, he is back to helping others.
A copy of the videos can be found at: john_hoffman_testimoni al___wvu_transplant_alliance (1080p) and: wvu_medi cin___transplant_alliance _heart_transplant_30 (1080p)