Shrewsbury woman has had a dozen pacemakers
By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Thanks to medical technology, Rose Whyte has defied the odds for half a century.
Since 1974, a mechanical pacemaker has kept the Shrewsbury resident alive. She received her first one at age 11, and over the years the energetic Whyte has had 12 of the devices implanted in her body to keep her heart beating.
“I’ve been operating on a battery for 50 years,” Whyte said in an interview with The Voice. “It’s been a big circle of fate, but luckily I always had good doctors. It’s actually quite unbelievable.”
Whyte is commemorating what she calls her half century of “borrowed time” by hosting a celebration at the Shrewsbury Community Centre Sept. 14. Billed as Rose Whyte’s “Golden Jubilee Party, 50th Pacemaker Anniversary,” the public event will be attended by the CEO of ForHearts Worldwide, turning it into an international event for pacemaker awareness.
Whyte, 61, was born with a congenital condition referred to as a third-degree heart block. At the time she said her parents were told “just take her home and love her – there’s nothing we can do.” She was only expected to live four to six weeks.
“In 1962, the technology just wasn’t there,” Whyte added.
However, her parents and physicians didn’t give up, with her mother taking especially good care of her. Whyte said that every time she had a fever that was 99 degrees or higher, family physician Dr. Ralph Kimmerly, would come to her home and give her a shot of penicillin to stop any illness from progressing.
“I couldn’t run and play the same as other kids,” Whyte said of her incredibly slow heartbeat. “I got really sick.”
The youngster ended up suffering cardiac arrest at age 2, age 6 and finally again at age 11. Whyte was swimming in a pool at the time of the last cardiac arrest and drowned.
In her near-death experience, Whyte said she travelled through a tunnel and saw the proverbial “white light.
“I was told, ‘You gotta go back, it’s not your time,’” she said, noting she actually fought the people who resuscitated her. “Since then, I’ve kind of always known, you should try to do good things.”
The incident led to Whyte getting her first pacemaker, which was the size of a hockey puck.
At the time, the 11-year-old weighed only 55 pounds and surgeons had to remove one of her ribs to put the device in her chest.
The Oshawa-born Whyte said she went on to marry and have three children, living a normal life in the Kitchener area. Her doctors kept a close eye on her and still do, as Whyte has been under the care of cardiologist Dr. Ronald Fowlis for more than 30 years.
After getting divorced, Whyte decided to make a change. In 2014, the more affordable Chatham-Kent beckoned and she bought a home in Shrewsbury, even though she didn’t know anybody. An experienced waitress, Whyte began working at Bayside Brewing in Erieau and now works at Jack’s Family Restaurant in Blenheim.
In 2018, Whyte received another pacemaker, but due to complications from the surgery, she was unwell and unable to work for a period of 13 months.
She recovered and on Feb. 1, 2024, Whyte received a state-of-the-art “therapy” pacemaker valued at $30,000US.
“It’s the Cadillac of pacemakers,” Whyte said, crediting the “excellent” medical care she’s received as the reason she’s alive.
“When you have good doctors, you know you’re going to be listened to,” Whyte said. “This new pacemaker is just amazing.”
Whyte, who is considering becoming an ambassador for ForHearts Worldwide, hopes sharing her story will bring awareness and garner donations for the agency.
ForHearts Worldwide operates in 20 countries, similar to the Doctors Without Borders model. Medical companies and volunteer doctors support the cause, providing pacemaker surgeries in countries where the technology isn’t readily available.
Whyte, with her positive attitude, said her life experience has made her wiser and she encourages everyone to “enjoy your life.
“You don’t know when your last day is,” she said. “We don’t know what tomorrow holds. It isn’t promised.”
Whyte’s pacemaker party begins at 3 p.m. at the hall located at 112 New Scotland Line. For more information on ForHearts Worldwide, visit forhearts.org.
