Ray Lawrence was dead on an emergency room table after suffering a heart attack. In a bizarre twist of fate, a clot broke near his heart and allowed life-giving blood to circulate. He was revived.

"That heart attack was the best thing to ever happened to me," smiles Ray. "Life was always beautiful, but now there's no more fear."

We wanted to tell you Ray's story because of his indomitable spirit, and his gratitude to the cardiology team at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. You see, Ray transferred from another hospital to have his surgery here with Dr. Taro Yokoyamo, whose skills are some of the many reasons the Providence Heat Center is renowned. Ray says it best: "Why go with the opening act when you can go with the headliner!".

We don't take Ray's compliments for granted, because frankly, ray Lawrence isn't easily impressed. In his lifetime, he's worked deals with enough big name record industry talent that their credits would fill marquees back to back from here to his native Lorraine, Ohio. And he's still in the game, managing Trini Lopez, and looking back only to savor his life's experiences. That includes his days playing the "Chitlin' Circuit" where rock and roll was being born, or starting the Ray Lawrence Orchestra. "I was born Ray Schrepich, but my dad said, 'who's going to go out and dance to Ray Schrepich?'" So Ray took his mother's maiden name (and her cholesterol, too, he jests). After the heart attack, Ray conquered the treadmill, and finished 12 weeks of cardiac rehab. Later, when his son Jeff decided to donate $500,000 to the charity of his father's choice, Ray chose us, thanks to a heart program that helped him overcome the odds. "You just got to beat it. I'm going out like a cowboy, with my boots pointed up to heaven".