Liberal MLA Undergoing Surgery After Heart Attack

A Liberal MLA from the Grand Falls area is set to undergo cardiac surgery in Saint John on Friday, according to the party.

Chuck Chiasson, who represents Victoria-La Vallée, suffered a heart attack last Friday and later learned he had several blockages.

Chiasson’s colleague, MLA Francine Landry, said he was lucky enough to make it to the hospital on time.

“As he said on social media, sometimes your body tells you in a polite way that you need to slow down. You need to listen then because, if you don’t, your body will give you a stronger signal,” Landry said in the legislature this week.

Wishing our MLA Chuck Chiasson a successful heart surgery today and a full recovery. Please keep Chuck in your thoughts and prayers through this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/bVWKX8xhuR

— Liberal Party of NB | Parti Libéral du N.-B. (@NBLA_ALNB) May 21, 2021

In a Facebook post, Chiasson said he started feeling chest pains after lunch but thought it was heartburn or indigestion.

He later drove from the legislature in Fredericton back to his home in Grand Falls before being rushed to the town’s hospital that evening.

Chiasson was then transferred to the hospital in Edmundston before being airlifted to Saint John.

Testing later revealed that the MLA had a total of 13 blockages, ranging from 40 to 90 per cent, as well as calcification.