Patient Story
A Family Affair
One Cardiologist, Generations of Life-Saving Care
Shanna Wilmot is relaxed as she waits at BMC Health Multispecialty Care (Methuen) with her 22-year-old daughter, Nova, for cardiologist David J. Goldberg, MD. “We unfortunately have significant cardiac disease in our family, stemming from genetic high cholesterol,” explains Shanna. “Nova’s cholesterol was a little higher than I’d like, so before we have any issues, you bet I am getting her in to see Dr. Goldberg!”
Dr. Goldberg has been caring for Shanna’s family for more than 20 years—a history that makes visits like this feel more calm than uncertain. It all started in 2004 when Shanna’s mother, Marlene Bernard, began experiencing shortness of breath going up the stairs and while exercising. “We always skied as a family, and my poor mom had started lagging behind,” recalls Shanna.
Quadruple Bypass Heart Surgeries for Marlene and Roger Bernard
Marlene went to see her primary care physician, who referred her for testing with Dr. Goldberg. At the time, he was working at a hospital near her home in New Hampshire. After performing a cardiac stress test and a cardiac catheterization, Dr. Goldberg told Marlene she had multiple blockages in her arteries and needed quadruple bypass surgery that day. The urgency was a huge shock to Marlene’s close-knit family.
“Dr. Goldberg told my mom she could not leave the hospital,” recalls Shanna. “Had she left, she could have been at very high risk for cardiac arrest and would not have survived. If it weren’t for Dr. Goldberg, I might not have my mother here with me today.”
In the 22 years that have passed since her bypass, Marlene has not needed any further cardiac interventions. She follows a healthy diet and does all her routine follow-ups and echocardiograms at BMC Health (Methuen). “Dr. Goldberg has her in check,” Shanna explains. “She’s more than 20 years out from surgery and her heart is going strong. She still cleans the house herself!”
But Marlene’s story was only the first chapter in the family’s long relationship with Dr. Goldberg’s care.
In 2024, Dr. Goldberg once again stepped in—this time for Shanna’s father, Roger Bernard. Despite having quit smoking years earlier, Roger began to experience coughing and shortness of breath. Dr. Goldberg had left the hospital in New Hampshire, but Shanna was determined to find him. Having worked with many different providers in her years as a certified medical assistant, Shanna felt Dr. Goldberg was special. “He is a brilliant and genuinely caring doctor, and we would follow him anywhere,” she says.
When Shanna found that Dr. Goldberg was practicing at Boston Medical Center – Brighton, she scheduled her father to see him. After evaluation and testing, Roger was found to need a quadruple bypass as well. Though the surgery took place near the family’s home in New Hampshire, Dr. Goldberg coordinated closely with the surgical team and continues to serve as Roger’s cardiologist.
“It’s been two years since his surgery, and he’s doing great,” shares Shanna. “He’s back to chopping wood and doing all the things he was doing before surgery.”
Preventive Cardiology Care for Shanna, Dan, and Nova Wilmot
When Shanna’s husband, Dan Wilmot, had strokes in both eyes in October 2025, who did Shanna call? Dr. Goldberg, of course. “I knew that if there was any abnormality, any blockage, anything cardiac-related, Dr. Goldberg would find it,” she says.
Dr. Goldberg conducted a full cardiac workup to rule out any heart-related causes for Dan’s eye strokes. He had Dan wear a cardiac monitor for several days and performed both an echocardiogram and a transesophageal echocardiogram. “Dr. Goldberg said Dan’s heart is perfect,” Shanna reports. “We’re still trying to figure out what happened, but he’s going to stay under Dr. Goldberg’s care, just to make sure things are good.”
That determination and compassion have defined Dr. Goldberg’s care for Shanna’s family for more than two decades. As Shanna shares, “He explains everything and never makes you feel rushed. If he can’t figure something out, you can see it in his face that it bothers him. He does not give up.”
Given her family history, Shanna herself has also been evaluated by Dr. Goldberg, just to be safe. “I’m okay for now, knock on wood,” she says.
And today, she carries on the family tradition of cardiology care with her daughter, Nova. Sitting together at BMC Health (Methuen), this moment feels both routine and deeply meaningful—a continuation of a relationship built on close observation, trust, and genuine care. “Dr. Goldberg has been saving lives in my family for over 20 years,” she says. “He truly works from his heart.”
Nationally-Recognized Heart Specialists
BMC Brighton’s Department of Cardiovascular Medicine connects you with some of Boston’s top cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, and cardiac surgeons. We also offer advanced treatments for the most complex cardiac conditions from our skilled doctors, nurses, and technicians.
At the Center for Advanced Cardiac Surgery, our top-ranked surgeons perform some of the most state-of-the-art cardiac surgeries, with advanced treatment options that range from complex cardiac surgeries to minimally invasive procedures to robotic-assisted procedures.
The Bernard D. Kosowsky, MD Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Center is medically supervised to promote heart health through education, exercise, and lifestyle changes. The cardiac rehabilitation team works with you to develop a plan to lower your risk for future heart or vascular problems via the Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehab (ICR) program.