The human heart is a marvelous organ. Its vital beating reminds us of the vulnerability of our human bodies, the strength of our Creator and the miracle of life. For David Calandra, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, and his wife Marcie, a cardiovascular nurse specialist, hearts were thematic in their life together—a shared profession and passion. As a surgeon, David healed countless hearts through his surgeries. As a man committed to Christ, he touched the lives of his patients, colleagues, family and friends.

"He was a surgeon who really understood our mission of 'Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ,'" says John Rapp, regional vice president for ministries and mission at Adventist Midwest Health. "He believed it, he felt it and he lived it. And that example was so powerful that it just affected everybody here."

Every day on the job, David demonstrated an unyielding drive and commitment to each of his patients, regardless of how difficult their case was. Even when faced with his own battles, he never stopped caring for those around him.

On February 14, 2007, David was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. At the face of adversity, David remained strong and steadfast in his faith. He told his wife, "Marcie, this is God's plan for us and we are going to walk through this journey as believers and followers of Jesus Christ; to show His glory through the whole journey."

The very next day, David was admitted to Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, the same hospital where he served as a heart surgeon. During the next 60 days he underwent two courses of chemotherapy. Doctors regrettably concluded that their colleague, and friend, was suffering from a type of leukemia that could not be treated with conventional methods.

The family searched for a hospital that could treat David's rare leukemia as well as meet the needs of their family. The Calandras decided on M.D. Anderson, in Houston, Texas, where the family could stay with David in his room, helping him every step of the way.

"We wanted to make this journey together," Marcie explains. "His leukemia was my leukemia, and his leukemia was the girls' leukemia."

Leaving behind their jobs, schools and friends, the Calandras made the trip to Texas as a family. The "Calandra girls" remained by David's side throughout his treatment. Marcie stayed with him during the day, tending to his every need. At night, his daughters took turns staying awake at his bedside.

"They would stay up and make sure he was breathing and that he wouldn't fall if he got out of bed, and that all of his needs were met as much as we could possibly help him," Marcie says.

As David progressed through his treatment, he wrote about his journey. He began blogging on Caring Bridge, a Web site designed to connect loved ones during illness, treatment and recovery. For 16 months, David devotedly wrote on Caring Bridge sharing his deepest thoughts, his struggles and his unfailing faith in the Lord.

"One day I particularly remember," Marcie says, "he had bright-red chemo flowing into his veins that was too dangerous to touch with human hands. And at that very moment, he opened up his laptop and began writing on Caring Bridge—teaching and preaching and sharing his faith, so those who will read it might experience the awesome faith that he had, even in the midst of the drama that he was experiencing."

On May 5, 2008, David passed away. As Marcie and their daughters tried to come to terms with life without the loving father and husband, they realized that in many ways they didn't have to. David's legacy lived on in the lives of countless people around them: nurses in his operating room, fellow surgeons in the cardiovascular ward, staff members in Adventist Hinsdale Hospital's administration, neighbors and friends.

"There was an incredible community outpouring of the love that people had for him," says Marcie. "People would come up to me and say that because of David's faith, in this whole journey, they had recommitted their lives to God."

"It was hard to know David Calandra and not be changed at some level," says Michael Zindrick, an orthopedic surgeon at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. "David's approach to life and to other people was all based in his faith, and David treated everyone with dignity and respect, whether that was the environmental services staff in the operating room, a patient, a colleague or just the common man on the street. David was a beacon."

Doctors who commit themselves to emulating Christ in their lives, like David, are helping create the culture of Seventh-day Adventist Hospitals—a culture based on whole-person treatment, heartfelt prayers and compassionate care.

"As a heart surgeon, David had the opportunity to see a beating heart and to touch it, which is an incredible thing," Marcie says. "Yet the hearts that he really touched were the hearts that led people to the Lord. That had more of an effect than even his surgeries did in giving life to other people."

Julie Zaiback is a corporate communications specialist at Adventist Health System.