‘I've got you’: A lifelong doctor-patient bond saves Bill Curtis' heart
An active small business owner’s failing heart set off a seamless chain of care—from Doylestown to Philadelphia experts—that ultimately saved his life.
Bill Curtis had always been a man in motion.
The avid cyclist from Lansdale, PA thrived on the open road, pedaling along scenic byways and trails. Beyond cycling, he was a swimmer, a hiker, and an adventurer at heart.
In January 2022, he and his wife conquered the Grand Canyon in a single day, and by that summer, he was logging 150 miles a week on his bike, at the age of 62.
However, his heart was already whispering warnings of trouble ahead.
“I had an incredibly active life before I got sick,” Curtis said.
A family history of heart issues
Curtis’ heart issues weren't a complete surprise; they ran in the family. His father had been diagnosed with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy decades ago.
About 20 years ago, in 2005, Curtis—then only 45 years old—was found to have developed the same condition, likely hereditary. He began care with his cardiologist, James Todd Alderfer, MD, (known simply as “Todd” to his patients) at what is now Penn Cardiology Sellersville in Bucks County, PA.
Alderfer, a 1991 Perelman School of Medicine alumnus, had known Curtis since their time at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, where they were teammates on the soccer team. Their kids even attended school together, adding a personal layer to their doctor-patient relationship. Alderfer described Curtis as “always one of the most positive, joyful people you will ever meet.”
Curtis runs a family business his dad started, Vision Video and Redeem TV. Without a massive staff, he worried his heart problems could lead to him having to step out of work for long periods of time. However, under Alderfer’s care, he managed his hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure remarkably well as an outpatient for 15 years without ever needing hospital admission for heart failure.
“Bill is easy to love as a patient because he is so joyful and wants so bad to work hard to get better," Alderfer said. For years, Curtis’ care stayed local in Bucks County, with collaboration involving the Doylestown Health Heart and Vascular team: managing complex ventricular arrhythmias, ICD shocks, and VT ablations—a procedure that targets and destroys the tiny areas of heart tissue that are causing dangerous, fast heart rhythms.
Around 18 years ago, as Curtis’ heart grew weaker and wasn’t pumping well, Alderfer recommended implanting a defibrillator to protect him from dangerous heart rhythms. “Dr. Alderfer's timing was perfect,” Curtis said. “I thought he was kind of being a little aggressive, but he was spot on. He's a rock star.” Later, about 10 years ago, Curtis developed heart block, leading to a biventricular pacemaker-defibrillator.
‘I’m really struggling’
Everything seemed stable until November 2021, when his defibrillator fired after a swim, delivering a strong, controlled electrical shock to his heart—saving his life.
Shocks continued in 2022, and in February 2023, Curtis received an ablation for ventricular tachycardia (VT). However, he never fully recovered.
Alderfer had anticipated that his progressive, inherited disease might worsen in this way; “I knew we were beginning to run out of tricks in treating Bill's hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, CHF, and complex ventricular arrhythmias,” he explained. “He was still doing pretty well clinically, but I could see the future coming.” Alderfer referred Curtis to Joyce Wald, DO, at Penn Medicine's Heart and Vascular Center in University City, Philadelphia. Wald specializes in patients with advanced heart failure who require advanced therapies, including heart transplant.
“I told Bill that I wanted him to get to know Joyce one to two years prior to when he would actually ‘need’ Joyce.” Curtis’ first appointment with Wald was in January 2023.
In June 2023, after feeling horribly ill one morning, Curtis texted Alderfer at 6:00 a.m.: “Hey, I'm really struggling. This is not going well.” Alderfer replied immediately: “I’ve got you.”
That message meant the world to Curtis. “My job is always to take the burden away from the patient. My job is to worry, not the patients. Their job is to let me know how they are doing and to try and execute the plan we collectively put together with them,” said Alderfer. “My job is to put them in a position to succeed, help them relax and focus on moving forward and finding the next best plan forward. I intentionally tell them all that," Alderfer added.
True to his word, Alderfer coordinated seamlessly with Wald, leading to Curtis’ transfer to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Curtis was listed for a heart transplant in July 2023. Over the following year, he faced multiple admissions, and eventually a right heart catheterization showed his heart was pumping a dangerously low amount of blood, leading to admission into the hospital. Curtis wouldn’t leave until he had a new heart. A donor’s heart offer arrived and on September 7, 2025, Mauer Biscotti, MD, performed the life-saving transplant.
Thankful for the well-oiled machine that saved his life
Recovery has been steady, with rehabilitation in Sellersville, a short drive from Curtis’ home. Today, nearly nine months after transplant, Curtis now walks up to three miles, rides an exercise bike, and uses the elliptical. “It's coming. It’s just a lot easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape,” Curtis quipped.
He praises the seamless local-to-advanced care transition: outstanding state-of-the-art cardiac care available near his home in Bucks County at Penn Cardiology Sellersville and in tight connection with a broader network of experts from what is now Penn Medicine Doylestown Health and other Penn Medicine programs in Philadelphia, including transplant. His complex condition was managed locally for 20 years with rare hospitalizations, but early connection to Penn Medicine’s most advanced care for his complex condition ensured a smooth shift when needed.
Curtis now fills his days with visits from his four adult children and a young grandchild, while still working on inspiring film projects for his ministry.
Curtis is also eyeing a return to cycling and hiking, all thanks to his second chance at life made possible through his heart transplant. “Penn is such a big system, and it's amazing how well it works for a big system. It's like a well-oiled machine,” he said. “More impressive is that everyone that treated me along the way was grateful and proud to work at Penn Medicine. And boy, that comes out loud and clear. What a difference it makes when they want to be there.”
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