Together We Heal - Tom and Carolann Carter
My husband Tom was having dizzy spells for a few days, so when he started to feel worse, we knew it was time to go to the ER. Before this, while we were living in northern California, Tom had had two episodes where he unexpectedly fainted. Both times, the doctors were not able to find anything wrong with him.
In the Emergency Department at Maui Memorial Medical Center, Tom had four of these episodes. The two nurses caring for him, Carol and Lisa, captured them on a monitor.
He wasn’t fainting — his heart was stopping, one time for 12 seconds.
With that recording, attending physician Dr. Lee Weiss was able to promptly diagnose Tom. He needed an emergency pacemaker, and Dr. Weiss facilitated his referral for surgery that afternoon.
The ER team took such excellent care of Tom that day, but they also took care of me. When Tom’s heart stopped and the nurses had called for a crash cart, I nearly lost my mind. As soon as Tom came to, one of them took the time to make sure I was alright, too. After diagnosis, with surgery still a few hours away, Carol and Lisa promised to not leave his side. They stayed with us until he was wheeled to surgery. Throughout that ordeal, I was so impressed with how thoughtful and on top of their game they both were.
Today, Tom’s heart keeps a steady beat as the pacemaker keeps pace with him. No more dizziness or fainting spells, and he feels so much better. I don’t think we will ever forget the excellent care, or kindness, we received from the team at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
- Tom and Carolann Carter
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This story and more can be found in the Maui Health Foundation's Annual Report. A digital copy of their Annual Reports are available online on at mauihealth.org/annualreport! The compilation of stories that exude faith, hope, ʻohana, and the recognition of all Maui Health staff as Guardian Angels really make it shine. ⠀