Patient Stories

PATIENT STORIES

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR CONTINUES TO SHARE

HER STORY THANKS TO CARING STAFF

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Rose Williams, 93, is one of few Holocaust survivors still with us today. Until COVID-19 struck our nation, Rose spent much of her time traveling across the country, sharing her inspiring, yet heartbreaking story.

On January 10, Rose was taken to Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak after tripping over her oxygen chord and breaking her hip. She had a successful surgery before graduating to Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak Rehabilitation Center; however, her journey there was not easy.

Rose’s insurance company initally assigned her to a skilled nursing facility. Considering her traumatic past and current health conditions, she and her family had serious concerns. “Being assigned skilled nursing was going to be a death sentence for her,” said Rose’s ad hoc caregiver and dear friend, Becky Hoag.

After multiple denials from the insurance company, Methodist staff such as case managers, administrators and other team members, stepped in and fought on Rose’s behalf to admit her to Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak Rehabilitation Center. “The people at Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak advocated for her,” Becky shared. “From housekeeping to dieticians to nurses to PT to OT and all the way up to the CEO, they made a point to get to know her, and to know her story.”

Rose is improving with each day. “I cannot emphasize enough how much they have really helped me,” she said. “They were exceptional. If it weren’t for the rehab, I don’t think I would be in the condition I am in now.” Because of the great lengths this team went to ensuring she got the care she needed, Rose gets to continue telling her story.

“There is no way to thank both the hospital staff and rehabilitation people, not just for kindness and compassion, but for the energy and concern they showed her,” Becky commented. “I really don’t think she would be with us today if that didn’t happen.”

Have a great story to share? We’d love to hear it! Please email us at MethodistCommunications@MHSHealth.com and you may be featured in our next issue!

ONE YEAR AFTER LEAVING THE HOSPITAL, COVID-19 PATIENT RETURNS WITH TACOS AND A GRATEFUL HEART

This letter is dedicated to a group of very special people, ICU nurses and personnel.

I say special because I know they are dedicated to their jobs and patients; it is a calling. They put in long hours and during COVID times; they truly give their hearts and souls to their patients. I know my family sent tacos to these wonderful people as they took care of me during my stay in ICU.

It was the beginning of COVID and I now realize how busy they were and how many times they only had a brief moment to eat those yummy tacos. Whether they were warm or stone cold, their primary concern was to care for their patients, including me. I cannot stress my gratitude for your dedication and for not giving up on me and other patients during the first wave of COVID. I was blessed to be in your care, and you all were blessed by a strong team of prayer warriors praying for you as well.

On the day I was released from rehab, I was interviewed by KSAT news. I told our community that Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak was not only a hospital, but a temple of God. I truly believe this because without your faith, prayer and medicine, I would not be here today to bring you tacos.

I thank you from my heart.

JOSE LUÍS (LOUIE) DIAZ-MARISCAL

COVID-19 Survivor at Methodist Hospital | Stone Oak

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PATIENT STORIES

HAPPILY EVER AFTER – A PATIENT WEDDING AT METHODIST HOSPITAL | METROPOLITAN

After 17 years together, Tony and Carol decided to get married at Methodist Hospital | Metropolitan, where Tony is a patient. At 62 years old, the couple had held off on sharing vows due to Tony’s ongoing health issues, but felt that life is too short to keep waiting.

“We’ve been looking out for each other for a long time; we wanted to get married and live the rest of our lives the best way we can from here on out,” said Carol.

Tony is receiving care for respiratory failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Carol has been by his side through it all. The staff on the third floor helped make the day special by providing cake and decorations; and two staff members even signed as witnesses! Many others watched out in the hallway, and congratulated the pair on their special day. It was truly a special moment for all, and the couple was ecstatic to say, “I do!”

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TRUMPET-PLAYING WORLD WAR II VETERAN CONTINUES HIS LOVE FOR MUSIC AFTER HEART PROCEDURE PROLONGS HIS LIFE

Lyle Bird (94) vividly recalls the days of riding a motorcycle across the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco, setting up at the Golden Gate Theatre for a full day of shows. Having grown up in a musical family where his mother played the piano daily, Lyle, 15 at the time, played the trumpet in several swing bands during the big band era.

When Lyle was 17, his parents agreed to let him join the United States Navy to fight in World War II. Stationed aboard the USS Okanogan, Lyle’s role was a signalman, responsible for communications between ships and shore, though his fondest time spent aboard the ship was playing in the jazz band. Lyle was deployed to Okinawa, Japan, leading to the days when the atomic bomb struck, the beginning of the end of the war. American troops were hauled to Japan, and it was there where Lyle honorably played Taps with his bugle for the

soldiers fighting on the frontline who were buried at sea.

Today, Lyle and his wife, Deena, share a life of joy. They have 10 children, 20 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren and a social life met with weekly happy hours and musical gatherings. His present day glory is shared with celebrations of his historic past. Lyle is among the 325,000 World War II veterans alive today and has been recognized across many honorary events. He was able to attend the Changing of the Guard in Arlington, and in 2018, Lyle was invited to participate in a wreath presentation at the Pearl Harbor Day event at the World War II Memorial, followed by an Honor Flight from Austin, Texas.

Lyle lived a life far beyond many ever experience. Though with age comes some foreseeable health conditions, and just years before marking a century of existence, Lyle was told he had aortic valve stenosis, requiring a heart valve replacement. He underwent a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure at Methodist Hospital. TAVR is a minimally invasive procedure and an effective option to improve quality of life in patients who otherwise have limited choices for repair of their aortic valve.

“He had surgery on a Thursday, came home on a Friday with oxygen, and by Sunday I could hear him playing his trumpet again in his studio,” Deena recalls. “I told him, ‘I don’t think you need that oxygen anymore.”

Lyle is back to great health and feels better than ever. “Life is good,” he commented. He was excited to get back into the studio doing what he loves – playing his trumpet.

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PATIENT STORIES

CRITICALLY-ILL

MOTHER MEETS BABY FOR THE FIRST TIME FIVE WEEKS AFTER

GIVING BIRTH

Cathi Aguilera was 29 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and required life support to survive. Due to her pregnancy, Cathi was at a greater risk of developing severe COVID-19 respiratory complications. She was intubated on a ventilator when her oxygen levels progressively dropped below 60 percent. Her illness advanced rapidly; her lungs had filled with fluid and the effects of the virus caused them to fail. The depletion of her oxygen had become near-fatal and endangered both her life and her baby’s.

Simultaneously, Cathi’s care teams worked tirelessly to ensure the first-time mom would live to meet her baby girl. In its rarity, Cathi’s OB, Tiffany Satterfield, MD, emergently performed a C-section in the Lung Rescue

ICU, while Jeff DellaVolpe, MD, critical care physician, worked to cannulate Cathi for

ECMO, a form of life-support that replaces the function of the lungs and heart for patients with life-threatening illnesses.

“I remember thinking how much longer? How much longer? The baby isn’t going to be alive,” commented Dr. Satterfield. The moment the baby finally came out, she heard a faint noise. “My God, she’s alive.” The neonatal team stabilized the newborn while Dr. Satterfield stitched Cathi. Baby Raya was born at 29 weeks, weighing three pounds and three ounces. Meanwhile, Cathi faced an incredibly strenuous recovery.

She remained on ECMO for nearly three months. Her lung function marginally improved, and she was in a sedated coma for several weeks. She remained on life support and was on dialysis to support her kidneys, which had failed. Cathi fell ill to depression, common for patients who have prolonged hospital stays. Her care team recognized a decline in her mental health and her will to fight had been exhausted.

Cathi’s care team knew she would not recover in the absence of motivation. The lung rescue

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FUN FACTS

ABOUT….

THE MEDICAL COURIER TEAM

• The team is responsible for transporting just about anything and everything among our nine hospitals, Medical Office Buildings and Free-standing Emergency Rooms.

• The team couriers everything from patient specimens and pharmaceuticals to dialysis machines and OR supplies.

• Working seven days a week, they processed almost 75,000 tickets last year alone!

• The Dispatch Team answered more than 22,000 phone calls with an average answer time of 19 seconds.

team worked together with the NICU team so that Cathi could meet her baby girl in hopes it would encourage her to keep fighting to survive. Cathi met baby Raya five weeks after she delivered. Dr. Satterfield said meeting her baby was Cathi’s turning point in her

recovery, and the fact that they’re both alive is the grace of God.

Today, Cathi and baby Raya are comfortably back home. It was the love of being a mother that got Cathi through the scariest moments of her life.

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