Category Archives: patient story

A remarkable recovery: His stroke care included fast-moving, coordinated efforts by his wife, ambulance crew and specialists at Upstate

Posted on August 13, 2018 by

BY JIM HOWE Dave Cartner has a remarkable story to share. The patient The 50-year-old Marcellus resident had finished breakfast on Feb. 13 and was about to leave for his job as a meat supervisor for a local food chain. … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/neurology, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, HealthLink on Air, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, stroke, surgery | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Off-duty nurse spots stroke in progress, springs into action at restaurant

Posted on August 8, 2018 by

BY JIM HOWE If an Upstate nurse had not decided to take a photo after dining out with a friend, another restaurant patron’s stroke could have turned out much worse. Cassandra “Sandi” Bradford, a diabetes nurse educator, was dining with … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/neurology, diabetes/endocrine/metabolism, health care, Joslin Diabetes Center, nursing, patient story, stroke | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A small box that saves lives: Fayetteville man recovers from infection, thanks to ECMO machine

Posted on August 6, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH Robert Crain, 47, awoke on Jan. 8 from a medically induced coma. Slowly he pulled together memories from three months before. The Fayetteville podiatrist had a nagging cough in early October. When he began feeling short of … Continue reading →

Posted in health care, infectious disease, kidney/renal/nephrology, lung/pulmonary, patient story, technology | Tagged , , , , , ,

‘She’s alive today because of them’

Posted on April 16, 2018 by

BY SUSAN KEETER Eight-year-old Kaelynne Driscoll and her father, Christopher, were riding an inner tube on Skaneateles Lake on July 6, 2016, when a wave knocked them off the tube and under water. They were struck by a boat and injured, … Continue reading →

Posted in bones/joints/orthopedics, brain/spine/neurosurgery, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, patient story, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | 1 Comment

Burn survivor: New laser assists in patient’s recovery from house fire

Posted on April 13, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH She lies on her stomach, exposing her bare back to a laser wielded by her surgeon. “Dr. Dolinak saved my life,” Stephanie Bridge says emphatically, as she positions herself for treatment that will help restore the texture … Continue reading →

Posted in dermatology/skin care, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, patient story, surgery, technology | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Lasers treat pediatric brain tumors, epilepsy

Posted on April 6, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH Maisie Chapman of Cortland was just 3 months old when her seizures began. Ethan Stinson of Pierrepont Manor, near Watertown, was 15. Both wound up as patients of  Zulma Tovar-Spinoza, MD, a pioneering pediatric neurosurgeon at Upstate University … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/spine/neurosurgery, health care, patient story, surgery, technology, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | Tagged , , , , ,

Talent and imagination: Teen artist spends chemotherapy time drawing original characters

Posted on February 28, 2018 by

BY SUSAN KEETER A new sketchbook was the perfect gift for Julia Nguyen on Sept. 13, the day she was diagnosed with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. Over the summer, around her 16th birthday, Nguyen developed swelling in her face and felt … Continue reading →

Posted in adolescents, cancer, health care, patient story, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics

Surgical solution: Ear specialist helps her hearing, balance problems

Posted on February 19, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH They weren’t life-threatening, but the symptoms that plagued Jolie Bower were so debilitating she had to stop working. She had a spinning sensation of vertigo and nausea that would come on without warning. Her head would feel … Continue reading →

Posted in ear, nose and throat/otolaryngology, health care, HealthLink on Air, patient story, surgery | Tagged

Overcoming a painful disease: Battling juvenile arthritis is a long-term proposition for this fourth-grader

Posted on February 12, 2018 by

BY JIM HOWE Nora Powers started feeling pain in her feet when she was 2 years old. That led to trips to her pediatrician, then a podiatrist, then an orthopedist. When she was 5, a pediatric rheumatologist diagnosed what caused … Continue reading →

Posted in arthritis, health care, patient story, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics

Medically fragile, mentally strong: Preschooler thrives, despite cardiac and neurological problems

Posted on February 9, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH In 2013, friends of Kristy and John Cornell told the couple about a woman who gave birth to a baby girl in the Buffalo area. The baby was to be adopted, and she had health problems. The Cornells … Continue reading →

Posted in allergies/asthma, cancer, health care, heart/cardiovascular, lung/pulmonary, patient story, surgery