2007 - Memorial Hospital of South Bend

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JEREMY MCDANIEL…We need an ambulance to 100 Center.16-year-old male with significant headtrauma, high-speed fall from car…“He was a kid just being a kid,” says Jeremy’s momLaDonna McDaniel. When looking back on the accidentthat nearly took her son’s life, she attributes his recoveryto a lot of prayers and the amazing work of Memorial’sTrauma Team.Jeremy and a friend were at a park sitting on the trunkof a car when another friend decided to take it for a joyride. At 40 mph, the two boys fell off, leaving Jeremywith significant closed head injuries. His friend walkedaway with minor injuries.When the EMS team arrived,they evaluated Jeremy who wasunresponsive with slow breathing.He was transported to the MemorialLeighton Trauma Center wherea multidisciplinary staff fromacross the hospital came togetherto help save a young life.Social Worker Nancie Stutzman-Neese, LCSW8 | MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM 2007 ANNUAL REPORT
“They warned me that I may have to be preparedto make a decision. That he may not make itthrough the night,” remembers LaDonna.“That was unbelievably scary.”For more than a week, Jeremy’s family was by hisside as he lay in a coma in Memorial’s IntensiveCare Unit. Spending the night at the RonaldMcDonald Family Room, the group never strayedfar. Doctors found that Jeremy had a number ofcontusions on his brain, telling the family thatif his brain had moved any more than it had, heprobably wouldn’t have made it. “He’s a miracle,that’s for sure,” says LaDonna.“All the nurses and doctors were great,” addsLaDonna. “There was one nurse in particularwhose son also went to Mishawaka High. Shereally took to Jeremy, and he responded verywell to her, which I was glad to see. I felt it reallyhelped him get through this.”After his time at Memorial, Jeremy’s recoverycontinued for four more weeks at a rehabilitationfacility. He continued his rehabilitation atMemorial’s Outpatient Brain Injury Program,mastering basic functions like strength andbalance, reaction time and swallowing.“He doesn’t remember anythingabout the accident, but I go overit in my mind all the time,” saysLaDonna. “How did he land? Whatwas he thinking when he was in theair? I kept wondering what it musthave been like for him. I was makingmyself crazy!”LaDonna says she got through theordeal thanks to the prayers offamily and friends. She’s also gratefulto the staff she encountered from dayone, who kept her informed of herson’s condition as it developed andsupported her family through their darkest moments.“I’ll tell you exactly when I began to realize thateverything was going to be o.k.,” says LaDonna. “I washaving trouble with my phone calling back and forthto family. The minute he took the phone out of myhand, fixed it, and gave it back to me was when I justknew everything was going to be all right. I knew Ihad my Jeremy back.”“He’s my baby, and I’m so grateful he’s still here.”“Challenges I faced as a child growing up in the health care system of the 1950s made me keenly aware of the deficits in thatsystem. These experiences, both positive and negative, became the influence that guided my decision to pursue medicine andprovide patient and family focused health care.” — Michael Long, M.D.
Page 1 and 2: ANSWERING THE CALL AND THE CALLING2
Page 3 and 4: Philip A. Newbold—Celebrating 20
Page 5 and 6: Memorial’s MedFlight ® helicopte
Page 7: heat in her side and back. When she
Page 11 and 12: “Then, when the ambulance came, t
Page 13 and 14: Expert care to help youRest, Heal &
Page 15 and 16: New Levels of Medical CareExpansion
Page 17 and 18: New Health Care Choicesin Northwest
Page 19 and 20: HEALTH FOUNDATION REPORT TO THE COM
Page 21 and 22: SUMMARY OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
Page 23 and 24: LEVEL II TRAUMA CARE AT MEMORIALIn

2007 - Memorial Hospital of South Bend

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