Stories of Hope

Written by: Kimberly Nokes Wilson William’s Daughter Written by: Hana Nobleza, MD, MSCI Medical Director, Neurocritical Care Service Baptist Memorial Hospital Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Section Editor Lauren Koffman, DO, MS Assistant Professor of Neurology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University Philadelphia, PA It Started With Pain On the morning of April 19, William woke up with some pain in his arm, along with other symptoms he had ...

Written by: Angie Murkins MSN, FNP-BC Department of Neurocritical Care, Stanford Health Care Written by: Honey Beddingfield MSN, AG-ACNP, CCRN, CNRN Department of Neurocritical Care Stanford Health Care Section Editor Lauren Koffman, DO, MS Assistant Professor of Neurology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University Philadelphia, PA In 2021, Kaitlyn was a 27-year-old professional guide who had traveled to more than sixty-two countries. She had graduated from Cal State Fullerton, where she received a degree in Entrepreneurship ...

Written by: Camilo Andres Diaz Cruz, MD Division of Neurosciences Critical Care, Departments of Neurology, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD Written by: Tachira Tavarez, MD, MS Neurocritical Care Faculty Division of Neurosciences Critical Care, Departments of Neurology, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD Section Editor Lauren Koffman, DO, MS Assistant Professor of Neurology, Lewis Katz School ...

During the 2nd annual World Coma Day , NCS and the Curing Coma ® Campaign invited patients and their providers to share their stories of recovery, in video format. Below you will hear the story of little Eli. Elijiah (Eli) and his parents Victor and Jannette, as they discuss an April 2021 car crash that left Eli with a severed spinal cord and under the treatment of Dr. Varina Boerwinkle. #StoriesofHope ​

During the 2nd annual World Coma Day , NCS and the Curing Coma ® Campaign invited patients and their providers to share their stories of recovery, in video format. In this interview between Dr. Varina Boerwinkle and the mother of a patient, we hear the story of a young man who suffered a stroke, and how his medical team quickly navigated the situation and worked closely with this family to make critical decisions. #StoriesofHope ​

During the 2nd annual World Coma Day , NCS and the Curing Coma ® Campaign invited patients and their providers to share their stories of recovery, in video format. Kertisha Brabson was a patient with anti-NMDA encephalitis who woke up from coma after 7 months and is now living a completely normal life as a dental assistant. This interview with Kertisha and her physician, Shraddha Mainali, talks briefly about her condition, her recovery process and her life as a coma survivor. #StoriesofHope #LeadingInsights ​​ ​

Written by: Rachael Muggleton With: Jeanette McCorry, MS, PA-C University of Rochester Medical Center Jenna Gonillo-Davis, MS, ACNPC-AG, CCRN Section Editor Lauren Koffman, DO, MS In May of 2020, I was a healthy, vibrant, smart, loving, pre-med student at Penn State, nicknamed the ‘mayor’ of my large friend network … until I fell acutely ill. I was admitted for what seemed like some sort of stress-induced altered mental status, and within the first week became catatonic. My mom watched in horror as her daughter’s light rapidly ...

Robert Alexander Bodroghy, MD, PGY-2 Neurology Resident, Temple University Lauren Koffman DO, MS Assistant Professor of Neurology, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA The word summertime usually evokes thoughts of vacations, outdoor activities, and a more easy-going lifestyle, especially for college aged kids. June 5, 2011, put an unexpected end to the spoils of my summertime fun. I was nineteen years old and had just finished my first semester of undergraduate studies, with a major in athletic training. The last exam I took was ...

Scott DeBoer, MD, PHD Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center Department of Neurology, Georgetown School of Medicine Cari Tobin, PA-C Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center Lauren Koffman DO, MS In 1989 when Benjamin Peace was 29 years old, he had a dental infection that spread to two of his heart valves, known as endocarditis. Unfortunately, the infection in his heart caused a stroke and left him unable to use the left side of his body. He was told he had a 50/50 chance of being able to walk again. Treatment of the infection required ...

Bindi Parikh, MD, Neurology Resident, University of Minnesota Christine Yeager, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Minnesota Section Editor Lauren Koffman, DO, MS One Thursday, amidst the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Naema had been working from home as a student advisor and was carrying out her usual activities. Though she did not feel quite herself, she drove herself to take care of errands and later went outside for a run. She recalls, “I was feeling off, my appetite was off. I didn’t know at the time that ...

Kate Meurer Clinical Research Associate in Neurocritical Care and Vascular Neurology Yale School of Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital Ilayda Top Clinical Research Associate in Neurocritical Care and Vascular Neurology Yale School of Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital Dan Doherty Clinical Research Associate in Neurocritical Care and Vascular Neurology Yale School of Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital Firas Kaddouh Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, Yale School of Medicine Her Last Ride for A While November 18, 2018: Chrissy ...

Stefanie P. Cappucci, MD Neurology Resident Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Corey R. Fehnel, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Neurology Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Harvard Medical School Section Editor: Michael Reznik, MD Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery Brown University/Alpert Medical School       “A year ago, I was thrilled to survive…and looked forward to what the future would bring. I would have never imagined a year from that day I would be getting ready to go to ...

To most, Sunday, April 7, 2019, does not stir up strong emotions or even spark a distant memory. The most popular tweet of the day was “Keep your emotions off the internet” from NFL player JuJu Smith-Schuster; Old Town Road by Lil Nas X jumped 14 spots to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; front page news introduced Candida auris to the public; and in just 24 hours, the Virginia Cavaliers would face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the NCAA college basketball national championship game. But that day was a big one for Kertisha “Tisha” Brabson and her battle ...

There was a trail of blood around the house that led to the basement. He recalls pacing back and forth, trying to take care of a wound. He had blacked out at some point, but he remembers his dog vigorously licking him to get up and answer the door.   Christopher’s memory and speech still aren’t what they used to be, but they’ve been steadily getting better. He turned 21 years old in 2019, and the year has been one of recovery and rebirth. He continues to make constant progress, and he hopes that someday soon he may yet return to his electrician’s ...

Emily Grodinsky, MD (left), Edith Graham, MD Neurology Residents (center), David Walker, MD (center), Lauren Koffman, DO, MS Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences (right) Aaron Smith is the kind of guy you want to be around. He is 20 years old, with maturity and wisdom beyond his years — forged from having lost his mother at a young age. As a result of his loss, he has grown closer to his father and other relatives, and has developed into someone who is “gentle, reserved, hardworking, loving, and hilarious” according to his niece, Tyler.  ...

By Jeb Rodgers, MD, Resident Physician, University of Missouri Department of Emergency Medicine (left);  Niraj Arora, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, University of Missouri Department of Neurology (center); and Section Editor Michael Reznik, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Brown University, Alpert Medical School/Rhode Island Hospital (right). Steve Maddox is a man with many titles—devoted father, loving husband, dedicated driveway basketball player, motorcycle-rider, lover of jokes and wisecracks, shop foreman at ...

By Hannah Breit, MD, Neurology Resident, Rush University Medical Center, and Lauren Koffman, DO, MS, Assistant Professor of Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center; Section Editor: Michael Reznik, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Brown University, Alpert Medical School/Rhode Island Hospital April 20, 2018: It was a brisk and sunny day in Chicago. Danny and his wife Lexie woke up to the sounds of their three rambunctious children — a 7-year-old, a 2-year-old and an 8-month-old — and a house full of laughter and love. ...

Contributors: Lindsay Marchetti, RPA-C, Lead APP, NMICU 1 ; Kathryn Zelazny, RPA-C 1 ; Betty Rosabal, LMSW 1 ; Chris Zammit, MD, FACEP, Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Medicine 1,2 1 University of Rochester Medical Center/Strong Memorial Hospital 2 University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry Section Editor: Michael Reznik, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Alpert Medical School, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital Ayanna was a young woman on a mission, on her ...

By (from left to right) Simona Ferioli, MD; Brandon Foreman, MD; and Kelly Rath, ACNP, University of Cincinnati, Department of Neurocritical Care Section Editor : Michael Reznik, MD, Brown University, Alpert Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital It was the Christmas season, which for Mary and Mark meant a time for reflection and making plans. Mark would retire, they agreed, while Mary would continue working her job as an operations specialist at Delta. They would continue to travel and enjoy living the American dream. And why not? Mary had just ...

Contributor: Leighton Mohl, MD, Neurology Resident University of Minnesota (left); Contributor: Christopher Streib, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Program Director, Vascular Neurology Fellowship Stroke Director, University of Minnesota (center); Section Editor: Michael Reznik, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Alpert Medical School, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital (right) After finishing work and returning home one day, Sten Anderson was on his way to the gym — “dreading working out, as most people do,” he recalls, ...

By Alexandra Reynolds, MD (left), and Michael Reznik, MD (right) In 2004, Caroline (name changed for privacy), a 19-year-old Bulgarian-American woman, was hit by a car while crossing the street in Manhattan, suffering a severe traumatic brain injury as a result. She had cerebral edema on presentation to the hospital, along with a large subdural hematoma, which required an emergent left hemicraniectomy and evacuation. Postoperatively she was kept intubated and sedated in Cornell’s Neuro ICU, and she proceeded to have a prolonged recovery. Despite her ...

Section Editor: Michael Reznik, MD Contributor: Aleksandra Yakhkind, MD, Neurology Resident Alpert Medical School, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital It is late morning on New Year’s Day, and Kathi has just left her home to go to the local supermarket, where she works as a cashier. She had just spent the previous evening together with her family celebrating New Year’s, reminiscing about 2017 and looking forward to 2018. Kathi is 19, works two jobs and eventually hopes to go to nursing school — a big deal for her family, who are from Guatemala. ...

He stumbled into the ER, disheveled, in torn clothes, and smelling of excrement and urine. When the nurses pulled off his boots, much of the skin of his feet came off with them. He was homeless, although at one time he had held a law degree. He had fallen on hard times. He had been struck by a car as he huddled under a blanket near the grocery cart that was his home furnishing, under an overpass. He had an acute subdural hematoma, several fractured ribs, a displaced pelvis, a punctured lung, a lumbar vertebral fracture, a ruptured spleen and a bruised ...

By Alexis Steinberg, MD, Neurology Resident, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Editor: Michael Reznik, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery, Alpert Medical School, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital Ann remembers walking into a hospital in Pittsburgh one day in February 2016, concerned because she had been experiencing unusual left arm and leg sensory changes for several hours. She was 47 years old at the time and had previously never experienced any major medical issues. She didn’t exactly know what to expect, especially ...

I had always felt healthy and energetic, enjoying my life in every aspect. I was teaching my eighth grade English classes, attending graduate school part-time, reading for pleasure, going to yoga, petting my cat, and enjoying time with my family and friends. Around Christmastime in 2009, I started having headaches that kept getting worse over the course of 10 days. I visited my doctor, and an MRI of my brain was unremarkable shortly before the morning when I awoke in unbearable pain. I called my parents who lived close by. My father came to my house ...

It happened so quickly that I don’t even remember how it happened or what happened. All that I know is the story of my survival, my family's resilience and our strong faith in our faithful God. I am learning more and more each day about my incredible journey.  It was one day around Christmas 2012. I had left work feeling lousy, like I was coming down with something. The next morning I had fever, back pain and a severe headache. My family took me to a local hospital. I was confused and disoriented. The initial tests showed that I might have an infection ...

By Dara Southerland Story contributor: Huy Tran, University of New Mexico Health Science Center On Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, 2014, I woke up feeling extremely weak and fatigued. I could barely move or get out of bed that morning. I'd had a lingering cold for some time. My breathing had become increasingly labored months earlier after receiving a flu shot around the end of October 2013. Within 10 days or so of receiving the shot, I felt fatigued and my breathing was growing more difficult. I didn't connect the shot with the breathing problems at ...

By Erin Calo, DaiWai Olson, and Brenna Kurtz The story of Erin Calo did not begin on July 22, 2012. However, after being thrown from a second floor balcony resulting in a severe traumatic brain injury, my life and the lives of my friends and family were changed forever. I spent the next 12 days in a coma at WakeMed in Raleigh, North Carolina, with no responses to commands, no responses to pain and no signs of life. No matter how grim the prognosis was, my nurses and doctors never gave up on me, my family never gave up on me and, most importantly, ...