AdventHealth Foundation Central Florida is spotlighting Dr. Andrew Taussig for the July 2024 Volunteer of the Month. Many of his patients have expressed their gratitude for their life saving treatment by giving significant philanthropic gifts that support the Heart, Lung and Vascular Institute.
Most notably is the journey between Dr. Taussig and a patient’s family that spanned more than 35 years. “Dr. Taussig has kept that man alive for at least 35 years or more. A big, big thank you to all of them,” shared the gentleman’s wife. Moved with profound gratitude, the couple made a magnanimous $1 million gift to support AdventHealth Heart, Lung and Vascular strategic priorities in 2023.
This is not the first time the grateful couple has responded with a significant heartfelt gift. In 2019, Dr. Taussig, Dr. Kevin Accola and Dr. David Varnagy performed two surgeries to treat this gentleman’s heart condition. Over the years, the family has donated a generous $2.5 million to heart, lung and vascular care at AdventHealth.
Reflecting on his extensive tenure at AdventHealth, Dr. Taussig shared his humble gratitude for the countless lives he’s touched through more than 20,000 procedures. It’s not the surgeries or interventions he reflects on the most, but rather the profound connections forged with patients and their families over the years. ”I miss the patient interactions. I know their families and kids and in some instances their grandkids,” shared Dr. Taussig. This grateful family exemplifies that bond, evolving from patients to cherished friends.
For Dr. Taussig, the greatest reward lies not in accolades or monetary gain, but in the enduring impact he leaves on his patients and the community. As this remarkable family demonstrates, the greatest gifts come from the heart.
