CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – A nationally syndicated radio program, The GIFT, focuses on the support provided to Mark and Kim Aaron Kahle, of Summerville, and Mark’s quest for a new heart.

(PHOTO ABOVE: Mark and Kim Kahle at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital with sons Elijah and Malachi.)

Mark, a four-year veteran of the United States Army First Battalion Rangers, needed a heart transplant in 2014, and the couple needed the support of the Fisher House Foundation while he waited for the transplant operation at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh.

The two Clarion-Limestone graduates already had a contact with Fisher House—Kim’s best friend from high school, Sharla Dunkle McCoy (pictured below), the Executive Director of Broadcast for McCoy & Associates, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sharla originated and produced The GIFT radio program about eight years ago. 

A two-hour special Memorial Day program airs on various stations, including WWCH Radio in Clarion. Sharla asked Mark and Kim to join The GIFT hosted country music star, Jerrod Niemann.

Listen to this excerpt of the Memorial Day Radio Show — The GIFT (at 15:00):

Jerrod Niemann’s interview with Mark and Kim Aaron Kahle

Over the course of two hours, Niemann helps familiarize listeners with the Fisher House Foundation – an organization that has managed to help hundreds of thousands of military and veterans’ families by providing homes around the world where they can stay, free-of-charge, while their loved ones are in the hospital.

In addition to hearing the details of the incredible organization, listeners will also learn the story behind Niemann’s latest patriotic ballad, “Old Glory,” which was inspired by his multiple USO tours and the sacrifices our service members and their families make every single day.

“Late in the summer of 2013, I was diagnosed with end-stage heart failure,” said Mark, who just turned 50 at the time. “They had me on medication that they thought might help, but the medication didn’t help. I ended up needing an LVAT, a ventricular pump system because my heart wasn’t able to pump the blood through my body itself. That was just to hold me over until I got to transplant. From the time I was diagnosed until when I actually got the transplant was about six months.”

Kim said it was all so sudden.

“He actually hadn’t been sick,” said Kim. “It was very sudden and out of the blue in August 2013. They never released him from the hospital until he had his first surgery for the LVAT.”

Mark explained that while he was at Presby, Kim was staying at some houses near the hospital; however, the places were difficult to get in and parking was hard to find.

“She was walking around late at night in Pittsburgh. My mother-in-law heard a report about the Fisher House in Pittsburgh, and it had to do with veterans. My wife called and explained the situation.

“It was awesome because it was free of charge, it was a beautiful house and fairly new. They provide you food, they have laundry facilities, no problem parking and just a few minutes from the hospital. It worked out very well that she didn’t have to worry about where she was going to park, and I didn’t have to worry. It was really a blessing when we discovered that.”

Kim agreed.

“You would walk in, and it was like a big fancy hotel that had three refrigerators stocked with food,” said Kim. “They would have people who would bring food in, and I would be at the hospital all day and come back and be able to eat something homemade. There are a lot of volunteers in that community.”

Mike served in the Army from 1985 to 1989, and although he didn’t serve in a conflict overseas, he did train all over the world.

“When I served, there just wasn’t anything going on. We invaded Panama a couple of months after I got out.”

Mark reports the transplant went well, and he hasn’t had any problems.  It took a little while, but he was able to run a 5K two years later.

“After a couple of years, I went back to work,” said Mark. “I was on disability for a while, but I became healthy enough that no longer qualified for disability.

“I went back to work at Clarion Monuments. I’ve worked at Clarion Monuments for 26 years; I recently got a new job with Clarion Area School District where I’ll be working in maintenance with their ground crew.”

Kim is the sister of Clarion Monuments owner Steve Aaron. Steve’s dad Mike had the business before Steve, and Mark started working with Mike in 1983.

Sharla graduated with a degree in music business administration from Clarion University, and after graduation, she quickly left for Nashville and has been there ever since. She now works with every country music artist writing, producing, and even promoting. “I wear many hats.”

Facebook kept Sharla and Kim together and alerted her that Kim’s husband Mark was in need of a heart.

“It wasn’t until February of this year when I came home—my nephew passed away—and Kim came to see me at the funeral home we got to talking about my work, and she said she knew about the Fisher House, and they actually stayed in Pittsburgh,” explained Sharla.

“I said I would love to feature the couple on the Memorial Day show and get them in the studio to talk with Jerrod Niemann about their incredible testimony story.

“I created the show to bring awareness to listeners and people about the great works done by Fisher House. You won’t hear about Fisher House in advertising or on a billboard, or in an airport. They strictly rely on word-of-mouth from families or other news coverage.”

Listen to the entire two-hour show at https://www.irisaerial.net/s/k7Jk3X2Z6thL0Sw