Drew Herman, a fraternal twin born prematurely at 34 weeks, made his surprise appearance with his sister on September 20, 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia. Lonii Herman and her husband, Will Herman, were joyful new parents, excited to meet their children for the first time. Little did they know what obstacles Drew would face in his […]
Category: Personal Stories
A Grand Entrance: Everleigh’s Story
On October 26, 2019, Heather Dannelley and her husband, Scott, were running some pre-Halloween errands when their day took a turn for the worse. What should have been a day filled with sweet treats and costume crafting was suddenly cut short by a serious car accident – another car flew through a stop sign and […]
Choosing Bariatric Surgery Offers a New Lease On Life
Gretchen Golz was in the second grade when her parents divorced. That traumatic event began what Gretchen describes as a ‘cycle of emotional eating’ that followed her into adolescence and young adulthood. As a college student, Gretchen tried various diets that led to minimal weight loss, but after she graduated and began her first job, […]
When the Unexpected Happens, WakeMed is There — Robin Bunting’s Story
On Saturday, February 6, Robin Bunting was enjoying a trip to Raleigh, to visit her family for the day. She came to town to help her loved ones settle into a new property they recently purchased. A Sudden Fall Robin was in an outbuilding sorting items to place in the lofts, which involved going up […]
A Heart in the Best of Hands: A Young Molly Anderson Shares Her Open Heart Surgery Journey
At age 44, Molly Anderson was seemingly in good health. She had no risk factors for heart disease, lived an active life and was happily running her own thriving jewelry business — mollybeads. As she prepared for a jewelry trunk show in the North Carolina mountains in the fall of 2018, Molly didn’t feel quite […]
To Avoid Open Surgery, Patient Travels to WakeMed Kidney Stone Center from Central America
Andrea O’Connor* has been dealing with kidney stones since the 1990s, so she knows the sharp, stabbing pain all too well. That’s why when Andrea and her family moved from North Carolina to Central America in 2018, she took every precaution to prevent future kidney stones. She had a water purification system installed in their […]
Meet Bart Filipiak – On the Trail
Avid runner and extreme marathoner Bart Filipiak is a 46-year-old who can barely believe he’s had a heart condition for the past 15+ years. As a kid, Bart always knew he wanted to be an Air Force pilot. He earned his private pilot’s license by the time he graduated college and went on to join […]
Meet Heather Pavese – On the Green
Heather Pavese is no stranger to heart troubles. In 2012, she had a mechanical heart valve put in back due to an aortic aneurysm. Shortly after moving to North Carolina in 2018, Heather suffered a heart attack and recovered with the help of WakeMed’s care team and got connected with cardiologist Dr. Raj Fofaria for […]
Meet Ruth Pearce – In the Water
Ruth Pearce has always been an avid exercise fan. Growing up as a tomboy, she was active and athletic. In her adult years, Ruth took aerobics classes for decades — she recalls working out to Michael Jackson in the 1980s. When she hit her 60s, some serious back and neck problems caused her to slow […]
From the NFL to the Silver Screen, This Provider’s True Calling is Here at WakeMed
At age 58, WakeMed physician assistant Ron Fazio, PA-C has had several exciting careers and lives his life with purpose. Following a few years in the NFL and a brief acting career, Ron has spent 14+ years working with WakeMed’s heart surgery team, helping many of our sickest patients live their lives to the fullest, […]
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