On the mend… Carter County Mayor Rusty Barnett recovering from a heart attack, surgery
Published 1:02 pm Thursday, September 17, 2020
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File Photo/Ivan Sanders Carter County Mayor Rusty Barnett welcomed everyone to this year's National Day of Prayer at the State Line Drive In. Mayor Barnett suffered a heart attack and a result had to undergo surgery on Wednesday at a local hospital. All things went according to plan according to his wife, Kim.
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BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR STAFF
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
Carter County Mayor Rusty Barnett had to face an attack this week from out of left field that he didn’t even see coming.
It wasn’t an attack from a standpoint of his position as the Mayor but one of a physical nature as Barnett suffered a heart attack and as a result, had to go undergo surgery at a local hospital.
“We aren’t sure if the heart attack was at work but we are pretty sure it was because that’s when he was having the worst pain,” said Barnett’s wife Kim. “After he got home is when I took him to the ER.”
According to Kim, Barnett had blockages that forced doctors to have to do the surgery which went well and just as the doctors had planned.
Barnett will be released from the hospital in just a few days according to his wife and will be working from home a couple of weeks. She added that all that her husband has been concerned about during his time of illness was getting back to work.
There was a large outreach from the community upon hearing of Barnett’s hospitalization as many reached out with encouraging words and offers of prayers for Barnett and his recovery.
That support has been paramount to Barnett during this time.
“The community being behind him has meant the world to him!” said Kim. “He’s so concerned about doing the best job that he can and he’s been assured there is no reason he can’t continue to do just that after his recovery!
“He loves this community and the people in it with all of his heart and he loves serving them so much. He feels so blessed with all of the prayers, texts, and concerns that the folks have had for him. He wants nothing more than to continue to do that!”
Barnett was alert and off the ventilator on Thursday when his wife arrived at the hospital.
This was great news to Kim who said, “He’s almost back to himself.”
Mayor Barnett also had a special word to offer stating, “I am a very blessed man.”
The Elizabethton Star along with the rest of the community sends best wishes for a speedy recovery to Mayor Barnett.
