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Big guy . receIves biggest present Fargo salesman gets new heart from donation To prevent the machinery from wearing out, the pump- ing rate was locked at a steady 61 beats per minute, a normal heart rate for a person at rest but inadequate for handling exertion. The situation left Hovden, who stands 6 feet 8 inches tall. and weighs about 300 pounds, feeling very weak, '.~mithson said. . . Hovden also had to avoid electrical appliances' ;;$dlight switches for fear a shock could damage the heart device, Smithson said.' Such artificial implants can be permanent, but are usually intended as a temporary solu- tion until a donated heart can be found, said Jennifer Amundson, a communica- tions specialist at Fairvie~- University. In addition to their relative- ly large size, the devices are also noisy, making a loud pumping sound that can be heard clearly for up to several feet, Amundson said. By Dave Olson dolson@forumcomm.com Friends describe Don Hov- den as a big man with a gener- ous spirit. Thursday night, Hovden's karma was reciprocated when a donated heart was placed in his chest. , Hovden, a popular salesman at the Straus Clothing store in Fargo for the past quarter- century, was recuperating in stable condition Friday at Fairview-University Medical Center in Minneapolis, where the heart transplant was per- formed. Family members, including Hovden's wife, Kim; mother, Ruth' and brother, Doug; are amo~g those in the Twin Cities supporting him as he recovers, said Tim Smithson, a friend of Hovden's and a fel- low Straus salesman. Smithson credits his friend's energy and outgoing nature for getting him through a heart attack that struck Aug. 25. "He's just got an infectious personality. Always willing to do anything he can for any- body," Smithson said. Ho~den's heart attack, his second in 12 years, destroyed the left side of his heart and left the right side extremely. stressed, Smithson said. A titanium pump weighing' 3 % pounds was implanted in Hovden's chest to help his heart pump blood. HEART: Page A 12 TERRY DEVINE The Forum ..................-................. His column will not appear today.