daughter’s voice in the background. “Dad?” When the nurse put Laura on the phone she said, “Dad, I think I’m in the hospital. Can you come pick me up?” “That was the best Sunday of my life,” Mike attests. Laura let everyone—staff, doctors, nurses, family, friends—know that she was going to beat the odds in special ways that only Laura could do. When a physical therapist told her to take one step, she said, “I’m going to take 10!” And she did. When wearing an eye patch and a large elbow brace, she sat down at a piano in a therapy room and played, from memory, a Rachmaninoff piece. The brain function was there. Watching Laura at the piano, the speech therapist assured Laura’s parents: “Your daughter’s going to be OK!” Today, Laura’s beautiful smile radiates. As she thinks about her time with Regional One Health’s doctors, nurses and staff, she recalls, “They literally put my face back together. I really appreciate them and how much training they have to go through and how much they help people. They’re just really awesome.” “To now have a functioning brain and be back in school, to be able to play basketball, to go through life like I would have before the accident,” her voice trails off and she chuckles shyly. “Life after the crash is more meaningful.” To the 17 doctors, nurses and staff who saved her life and rehabilitated her back to full health, Laura says: “THANK YOU. Thank you and keep doing what you’re doing, because it’s so necessary.” How You’ve Helped The funds donated by Regional One Health Foundation donors pave the way for advanced training for doctors, nurses and staff, and the purchase of specialized equipment that is essential in saving and enriching lives. Funds raised help all facets of the hospital system, from trauma care to outpatient services such as rehabilitation. Did You Know? The Elvis Presley Trauma Center, the only Level 1 Trauma Center within 150 miles of Memphis, is one of the busiest trauma centers in the country. Level 1 designation means there is a multidisciplinary team of highly trained specialists in the center 24/7 awaiting those in need of medical attention following a trauma incident. “The nurses here are excellent. They know what to watch for, they know how to educate the parents. One nurse asked me if anyone had told me what parts of Laura’s brain were affected by the bleeding. She handed me the chart she was looking at and went through every part of Laura’s brain with me, explaining the possible ways the bleeding could affect Laura’s life. I wouldn’t have known that if she wouldn’t have taken the time to help me.” — Lee Ann Spradlin “Dr. Croce helped us decide what to do with Laura after she left trauma care. There is a rehab center in Atlanta where he sometimes sends patients, and he explained that Regional One Health also has experts right here in Memphis. He did all of the research about the other facility for us and even gave us questions to ask each center. He patiently and gently explained our options. We wouldn’t have known how to decide without him. We chose Regional One.” — Mike Spradlin DONATE.REGIONALONEHEALTHFOUNDATION.ORG 10
16 Publizr Home