I am 64 years old and have been riding a motorcycle for over 40 years. In June, I was involved in an accident when I misjudged a sharp corner just outside of Woodstock NH. I ended up running off the road, badly injured.
I knew I was hurt, and was having trouble breathing, but I had no idea just how bad my injuries were. Paramedics arrived, and I was transported to a hospital in Plymouth, where they quickly realized that I needed to be airlifted to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). Despite the horror of going through such a traumatic accident, being flown to DHMC made this the luckiest day of my life.
The injuries, care and treatment
I had 9 badly broken ribs, a broken scapula, collapsed lungs, a bleeding spleen, a torsion break of the lower leg, and torn ligaments in my thumb. The teams at DHMC acted immediately and professionally, performing 5 surgeries, all with incredible skill and great results.
For the first eight days I don't recall very much as I was intubated and kept in a medically induced coma. I spent a total of 14 days in the trauma ICU and 26 days total at DHMC, where I received a level of care that is truly beyond description. The competence and compassion shown by every doctor, nurse and employee that helped me was truly over the top, a level of care that I never imagined was possible.
Through the 26-day stay, my wife Carole was by my side 10 hours a day, and although she is clinically deaf, every caregiver took the time to make sure she understood every procedure and answered her endless questions kindly and clearly, no matter how busy they were.
As my recovery progressed, it was painful and difficult, and it would have been easy to feel sorry for myself. Due to the huge efforts and positive attitude of all the staff, I felt that I couldn't let them down, and this was the impetus that pushed me to be as positive as possible and work extra hard towards my recovery, as my way to thank them for going the extra mile for me.
The list of thank yous
Over the course of my stay, I had interactions with dozens and dozens of caregivers and support staff, and it’s impossible for me to thank them all by name. For those names not listed, please don't feel any less appreciated. I owe everyone my everlasting gratitude.
After coming out of my coma, ICU nurse Jacob Benson, RN was just awesome. He acted as the consummate professional in everything he did.
Giovannic “Nick” Bruno, the respiratory care practitioner who removed my breathing tube was incredible. It was quite an intense event and something that I will never forget as he almost passed his strength on to me and willed me to breathe on my own.
Kyle Holsted, MPAS, PA-C and David Finley, MD are members of the thoracic team that performed miracles with my broken bones. Dr. Holsted shares my passion for classic cars and he took every opportunity to discuss cars with me, knowing that this was powerful medicine for me. He not only fixed my bones but helped keep my mind in a good place.
Medical student Jacob Slibel took special interest in my care, always offering kind words of encouragement and lifting my spirits with optimism and kindness.
Anesthesiologist Jonathan Weed, MD helped me manage my pain, and was always smiling and happy, and passionate about his work.
Nurses Renelli Rodriguez, RN, Mary Noyola, RN and Teresa Harris, RN, as well as countless others, made sure I was comfortable and well cared for, no matter how busy they were. The meal staff and housekeepers were flawless at their jobs, taking pride and care with everything they did.
A level of care that is truly beyond description
A level of care that is truly beyond description
By now I knew that to everyone at Dartmouth, these were not just jobs or careers, but their calling in life. They performed their duties with a passion like superheroes, not employees. This all indicates to me that your caregivers and staff are nothing but the best.
After I was admitted, numerous American friends told me about the fantastic reputation DHMC has. So, even though June 14 was the unluckiest day of my life, at the same time it was the luckiest day of my life because I was fortunate enough to be sent to this facility.
Thank you to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and each and every staff member.
Kindest regards,
Tim Kalil
Rigaud, Quebec, Canada
This article first was published in the September 2024 Issue of Connections Magazine.