“You do for family.” That’s a rule Polly Shreve lives by. She demonstrated it most recently on March 1, 2023, when she flew from Missouri to Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and then drove to Cary, North Carolina to care for her sister who had recently fallen and suffered multiple fractures. “My sister was in bad shape, […]
Category: Personal Stories
From IVF to Labor & Delivery: Allie Zeck’s Story
A Long IVF Journey Matt and Allie Zeck were a healthy couple with unexplained infertility. They had tried for years to become pregnant naturally, but when their efforts failed, they turned to in vitro fertilization (IVF). This process involves monitoring and stimulating a woman’s ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova from her ovaries and […]
Amputation after a Cat Bite: Tom Keck’s Story
After retirement, Tom Keck became a hobby craftsman, making upgrades and repairs around his home. In 2017, while working on a home project, Tom fell off his ladder. Unfortunately, the fall was severe, resulting in several crushed ribs that impacted his spleen. He had to have his spleen removed. The years went by, and Tom […]
An Injured Athlete and a Team that Wouldn’t Give Up: Savannah Anderson’s Story
Strong-willed, compassionate, loving, an animal whisperer: these are the words Gwen Anderson (a mom and WakeMed employee) uses to describe her highly athletic daughter, Savannah Anderson, who began showing horses at the young age of five. “She loves animals,” shares Gwen, “especially her three horses. She is also persistent, so when she sets a goal, […]
Waking Up to the Good Life After Coma: Nigeria McMichael’s Story
Independence Day is a great time to get together with friends and family, cookout on the grill and watch celebratory fireworks. For Nigeria McMichael, the 2021 event was an especially wonderful time since her family had not been able to get together in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loved ones came from […]
Recovery from a Near-Fatal Skydiving Accident: Scott Trimble’s Story
May 6, 2022, was a clear weekend for competitive skydiving at a Hoke County, North Carolina parachute center. Skydivers came from around the region, including other states, to partake in the competition. Scott Trimble traveled from Ohio for the event. He had recently advanced from a student to a licensed parachuter. The event weighted participants […]
Looking Under the Hood: How WakeMed Heart & Vascular Physicians Saved a Car Dealer’s Life
WakeMed cardiologist Chelsea Ngongang, MD, FACC, walked into a car dealership in December 2019. She was greeted by Roy Roth, who sold her the vehicle of her dreams, and their lifesaving friendship began. Roy says, “I was fortunate enough to have been the one to greet her that day. She pulled out her cell phone […]
Connecting Hearts with Volunteer John Boggess
In 1979 at the age of 37, John Boggess experienced excruciating chest pain while watching a Sunday football game. Alarmed, he went to the emergency department in his local area. As the care team was connecting the electrocardiogram electrodes to his chest, John had a heart attack on the table and fell unconscious. Waking Up […]
Innovation & Collaboration Lead to Promising Results With New Treatment
Earlier this year at 76 years young, Marlene Walbek wasn’t at all feeling young at heart. For years, she had battled atrial fibrillation, heart failure and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, Marlene’s symptoms started to progress — and her quality of life was deteriorating quickly due to extreme shortness of breath. She went from spending time […]
3 Firsts for WakeMed Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery: A Pediatric Burn Story
On Saturday, August 27, 2022, Moesha, her partner and their two children were involved in a traffic accident. Immediately after the crash, Moesha and her partner jumped out of the vehicle to check on the children. Moesha’s daughter was fine, but their son, Gonnie, was nowhere to be found. Gonnie’s door was ripped off with […]
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