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The Heart of West Georgia (HOWG), a registered 501(c)(3) dedicated to battling heart disease—the nation’s number one killer—is gearing up for its annual golf tournament fundraiser on April 24, 2025, at Highland Country Club. This year’s event will honor George Bailey, a Gulf War veteran, community leader, and heart transplant recipient whose inspiring journey underscores the critical importance of heart health awareness and education in West Georgia.

HOWG’s mission is to educate the community and provide life-saving resources, such as automated external defibrillators (AEDs), to local businesses and organizations. Proceeds from the golf tournament directly support these efforts, including donations to Troup Cares, WellStar West Georgia Medical Center, Emory Clark-Holder Clinic, and local nursing programs, as well as funding for community projects like the outdoor exercise equipment on The Thread and Active Life Center.

This year’s honoree, George Bailey, embodies resilience and hope. A longtime pastor of 25 years, former Hogansville councilman, and past chairman of the LaGrange-Troup Chamber of Commerce, George has spent decades serving West Georgia. His personal battle with heart disease began in December 2023, when he noticed swelling in his feet and legs. Initially, he dismissed the symptoms, relying on larger clothes and shoes while continuing his busy schedule of community commitments. By May 2024, during Hogansville’s Memorial Day service—an event he helped organize with American Legion Post 152—his condition could no longer be ignored. Friends and his wife of 32 years, Daniela, urged him to seek medical attention, leading to an ICU admission at the VA hospital, where tests revealed heart failure.

George’s journey to a new heart took him to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, a world-record-setting transplant center that performed 174 life-saving transplants in 2024, including George’s. After months of preparation—weight loss, IV medications, and a ventricular assistance device (LVAD)—he was listed as status 4 on the transplant list by November 2024. On December 5, 2024, just before Christmas, George received the ultimate gift: a new heart from a 31-year-old donor. Twelve days later, he was already inspiring others, sharing an uplifting message with Wanda Lowe’s husband, Bill, who faced his own coronary bypass surgery.

Now recovering at home with Daniela by his side, George remains steadfast in his mission to create positive change. Although he missed the opportunity to serve as Grand Marshal of the MLK parade and accept the LaGrange/Troup County “Spirit of the Community Award” in person (his daughter stood in for him), he is hopeful and excited to attend the upcoming HOWG tournament on April 24th. His advice to others? “Be serious, pay attention to your body, listen to your doctors, don’t deny what’s going on, and put God first. Making changes like eating healthy is hard, but it’s worth it.”

Join us in supporting HOWG’s fight against heart disease and celebrating George Bailey’s remarkable story. To contribute, visit www.heartofwestgeorgia.org or mail donations to Heart of West Georgia, PO Box 303, LaGrange, GA 30241. For more information or to participate in the golf tournament, contact Brent Addison at 706-333-6410 or brent.addison@emoryhealthcare.org. Together, we can save lives and build a heart-healthy community.