More Determined Than Ever

When she was losing hope, hope found this Roscoe woman at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center.

Christine Loken just never felt the same after she had open heart surgery at another hospital in Rockford in 2015. She had chest pains every day, was always out of breath and sometimes lost consciousness. She felt miserable.

For years, Christine, 68, of Roscoe, had volunteered at Bravehearts a non-profit Therapeutic Riding Center in Poplar Grove where children with autism and veterans with post-traumatic stress disorders can use horses to cope. With Christine's health failing her, she couldn't physically do the work she loved anymore.

The doctor who performed her original surgery had retired soon after, and every time she went in for an appointment, she would see someone new. They kept doing test after test, but they couldn't find the problem and didn't know how to fix it.

Christine tried another local hospital. There, she was given a stent and told there was nothing more they could do for her.

Finally, she landed in the emergency room, and then the intensive care unit, at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, the region's leading critical care hospital for burn, trauma, stroke and heart conditions. That's where she met Dr. David Cable, a thoracic and cardiac surgeon, and her fortunes took a turn for the better.

"I met Dr. Cable when he walked into my room in the ICU," Christine said. "He said he could help me. I love Dr. Cable. I wanted to hug him. He's like a Santa Claus."

"Dr. Cable took the time to sit down and talk with me. He was so nice, and he was the first heart surgeon who actually said, 'There's something I can do to help you.' He said, 'There's a procedure I learned at a little clinic in Minnesota called Mayo.' It took him years to perfect it, and he has been doing it for 10 years. Other doctors know about it, but can't perform it."

In February 2019, Dr. Cable performed a transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR) procedure, in which he used lasers to make holes in some of Christine's heart tissue to relieve the pain of angina, which is caused by oxygen deprivation of the heart muscle.

"Six days later I went home, and soon I had no restrictions," Christine said.

Christine is still working to get back to BraveHearts. Since her TMR surgery, she suffered an unrelated setback to her heart health. But her prognosis is positive and so is her outlook. She believes in her current cardiologist, who prescribed medication that should allow her to live a good life. She's working with a cardiac rehabilitation team she believes in, too.

"OSF Saint Anthony is a great hospital with a great nursing staff. You can't get better than that," Christine said. "BraveHearts is really good exercise. My main goal is to get back there.

"I've never had better doctors than the ones at OSF HealthCare. Dr. Cable saved my life. I was going downhill fast when he found me. He thought he could help me when everybody else said forget it."

More Determined Than Ever

Expert care helped one Earlville man keep plowing on after a serious accident

Sometimes, it just takes an inch or two to turn a routine day into an emergency. Perhaps no one understands this better than Bob Goodbred of Earlville, Illinois.

It was Sunday, November 3, 2019. Bob, 75, was doing maintenance on his 14-foot snow plow, which was lying across some 3-foot steel horses. He was using an acetylene torch when one end of the plow fell off the horse.

"When it jumped the horse and landed on top of me, I thought this was it," Bob said. "It weighed probably a ton, and all that was holding it were some blocks about 8 inches tall that it landed on. I was squirming like a snake to get out. Then the torch caught my clothes on fire and I really squirmed."

Bob was able to wriggle his way out from beneath the plow, get in his truck and drive the half mile to his daughter's house. Seeing the shape he was in, she immediately drove him to OSF HealthCare Saint Paul Medical Center in Mendota. Bob passed out on the way and woke up in the hospital.

At OSF Saint Paul, a CT scan revealed that Bob had five broken ribs where the plow had landed on him. Then he was transported to OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, the region's leading critical care hospital for burn, trauma, stroke and heart attack. Third-degree burns covered Bob's torso from his hip to his armpit.

He passed out and suffered cardiac arrest, but the OSF Saint Anthony team revived him. When he woke up again, he was surrounded by five or six nurses.

"They did a great job on me in Rockford," Bob said. "I got along fine with Dr. Stathis Poulakidas, a surgical critical care specialist specifically trained in trauma and burns. He kept me in the loop on what would happen and what to expect. He's my kind of guy. He's down to earth. He's just a great man."

Bob was in the hospital for 17 days, and he is grateful for the care he received. It is a major reason why he is expected to make a full recovery, though it may take about a year to get there. Before the end of 2019, he was ready to get back behind the wheel of his truck and clear snow with his plow.

"I can't say enough about the team in Rockford. Everybody was great. They were always there when I needed them. When I got ready to leave, all the nurses were there to say goodbye."

More Determined Than Ever

Regebija Ajvazi overcame a brain aneurysm and is now pursuing her dream of becoming a nurse.

Regebija Ajvazi, or Bika, as she is known to her family and friends, has always dreamed of becoming a nurse. "My mom was really sick a couple of years ago, and I watched how her nurses cared for her," said the 25-year-old Rochelle resident. "They provided my mom with continuous support and motivation to get better. That influenced my decision that nursing was the career I wanted to pursue."

Ready for a New Adventure

Bika was on a fast track to reaching her dreams. Two years ago, she enrolled at Kishwaukee Community College to earn an associate degree. Friends encouraged her to apply at Saint Anthony College of Nursing, which she did and got accepted. She was due to start January 14, 2018. "I started crying when I was accepted. I was so excited."

Bika, who had never been sick before, had much to look forward to. She was preparing to take her finals at Kishwaukee when a life-altering occurrence on December 14, 2017, nearly took it all away.

That night, Bika was studying with friends when she developed a terrible headache. She drove home to take a bath, hoping it would help her feel better. The last thing she remembered was grabbing for a towel. "About an hour later, my brother, Sead, came up to check on me," she said. "He opened the door and found me lying on the floor. He called 911 immediately."

A Life-Changing Diagnosis

What was wrong was Bika had a brain aneurysm, a bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain. A brain aneurysm can leak or rupture, causing bleeding into the brain (hemorrhagic stroke). Most often a ruptured brain aneurysm occurs in the space between the brain and the thin tissues covering the brain. A ruptured aneurysm quickly becomes life-threatening and requires prompt medical treatment."

"It's atypical for a young woman to have a ruptured aneurysm," said Ayman Gheith, MD., a neurological intervention surgeon at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, who, along with his partner, Akram Shhadeh, MD, was responsible for Bika's care. "Typically, the presenting age for an aneurysm starts around 40 to 50 years old."

In the Hands of Specialists

Bika was rushed to Rochelle Community Hospital, where it was determined she needed additional expert care, so she was airlifted to OSF Saint Anthony, Rockford's only Comprehensive Stroke and Brain Center. OSF Saint Anthony treats all types of strokes 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The hospital has highly trained, highly specialized stroke care staff and the most advanced imaging methods.

Bika had surgery and spent three weeks in the hospital, mostly in the intensive care unit. Following discharge, Bika spent a few weeks working with physical therapists and speech pathologists, correcting problems with her walking and speech. The next two months she recovered at home before returning to work at her family's restaurant.

These days, Bika is enrolled at Saint Anthony College of Nursing and pursing her dreams again. "I had the best care at OSF," she said. "My doctors and nurses were amazing. I'm going to a school that is affiliated with the hospital that saved my life. I can't imagine a better situation."

In Bika's case, it took a group effort between the patient and the care team. "I credit our comprehensive approach to the patients," said Dr. Gheith. "It's one of the key factors to make the difference in whether a person goes home or not. What I and my colleague do is very important, but it is a small part of what need to happen for someone to be able to survive and do well."

Morgan Teske has a passion for teaching. He has successfully turned it into a nearly 20-year career, the last 11 at Rockford East High School. That passion also comes with a very big heart.

Teske is a special education teacher. "I like advocating for students with disabilities and making sure public education serves all members of our community, and gives them equal access to education," he says.

Understanding the challenges of his students helped him when he faced a physical, life-threatening challenge in April 2017. Teske considered himself in relatively decent health, except for managing some high blood pressure and cholesterol – not unlike many people approaching their middle 40s. But suddenly he passed out and hit his head in a fall. He had suffered a stroke.

Teske was fortunate his teenage daughter was home at the time and she called 9-1-1. "I live very close to another hospital, but thankfully the EMTs knew about the stroke center at OSF and they brought me there – where I got very quick treatment," says Teske. OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center is the region's only comprehensive stroke center. That means 24/7 treatment for any type or severity of stroke and the OSF stroke team, including its lead physicians, neuro-intervention specialists Drs. Akram Shhadeh and Ayman Gheith, were ready when Teske arrived at the emergency room.

Teske had right-sided weakness and was unable to speak. It was quickly determined that he had a clot in his cerebral artery and a carotid dissection. "It usually happens with people who have inherently weak vessels and they don't know it until they get in trouble," says Dr. Shhadeh. "There are not previous signs the patient can have before the big disaster happens."

It was a delicate and tricky procedure where Dr. Shhadeh needed to go through a damaged carotid artery to retrieve and pull out the clots. "We were able to cross the damaged carotid safely without causing any further damage, and without shutting down the carotid completely and retrieve all the clot," says Dr. Shhadeh. "And he regained all of his function – began moving his right arm and started talking and came back to a near-normal baseline."

Still, Teske was not quite out of the woods. Because, as Dr. Shhadeh explains, "when people get carotid dissections, it doesn't just shut down and form clots, it can also form fast growing aneurysms, called pseudo-aneurysms, which are more serious than the true aneurysm." And with a fresh stroke, Teske could not be put on blood thinners.

Conducting regular scans while Teske was undergoing rehab, a carotid aneurysm was discovered and a second phase treatment was undertaken. Again, it was fortunate he was being treated at OSF. "His aneurysm was looping around, which no traditional carotid stent can effectively remove," says Dr. Shhadeh. "We are the only stroke center in Rockford to deploy a new device, called a pipeline flow diverter, which was the only solution for Mr. Teske. We were successful, his aneurysm cured and, if you look at his carotid it looks normal – no sign of damage."

When told of the looping aneurysm, Teske joked with the doctors it was because of his curly hair. "My arteries are matching my hair." "I think they did amazing work in saving my life," he adds. "The stroke program at OSF is great. The aftercare that I got and the compassion and the explaining the road to recovery. I appreciate how they were very vigilant and worked as a team."

Teske says the experience has helped him make better lifestyle choices and has convinced his friends to consider the same. It also has helped the teacher become the student for his classes. "It made me appreciate what individuals with disabilities or any challenge they may be dealing with in their life," says Teske. "It helps me identify with my students a little better on that level. Ultimately, it helped me to be a better teacher."

Teske's story also serves as a lesson for all of us. "No one is immune from stroke," says Dr. Shhadeh. "A lot of younger folks, when they experience symptoms – they think 'no, no it's impossible, I'm not having a stroke, it'll go away on its own' – they can't think this way. Mr. Teske did not think this way and he came into the emergency room right away. He did the right thing."

"I just thought I was having really bad heartburn for weeks," said Jerry Dearing, a resident of Compton, Illinois. "The pain was persistent no matter what I did. But then my arms started going numb."

A truck driver who delivers construction materials in and around the area to home and commercial building sites, Jerry, then 64, had a stress test on April 5, 2019, at OSF St. Paul Medical Center in Mendota that showed some abnormal activity.

The test was stopped and Jerry was transferred to the OSF St. Paul emergency department until he was transferred by OSF Lifeline ambulance to OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, the leader in heart and brain care for Northern Illinois.

"Because I had been having these same symptoms for weeks now, my wife and I thought we could just drive ourselves to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford. Later I understood why I could not," said Jerry. "We laugh about it now, but driving would have put us and others at risk had we done so."

When Jerry arrived, the heart team at OSF Saint Anthony was ready for him. He was met by Dr. Samer Mowakeaa, of the OSF Cardiovascular Institute, who specializes in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology. He performed an angiogram to get a more thorough look at his heart. An angiogram is an X-ray procedure is both diagnostic and therapeutic and is considered the gold standard for evaluating blockages in the arterial system. "Jerry was diagnosed with an acute coronary syndrome, which occurs when one or more of the heart arteries are severely narrowed from plaque causing accelerating chest pain," said Dr. Mowakeaa.

The next day, Dr. David Cable, a thoracic and cardiac surgeon with OSF Cardiovascular Institute, performed a coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) on Jerry to get his blood flowing correctly. OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center is only 1 in 15 medical centers nationwide performing CABG and the only one in Rockford. "It was amazing how much better I felt immediately after surgery," added Jerry. "I had been struggling with pains for weeks and now, within hours, my entire body felt better. I felt more like my old self again."

He added: "I was worried, but all I kept thinking about was how much I wanted to spend more time playing with my eight grandchildren and teaching them how to fish."

In addition to the artery blockage, Jerry was reminded of his family history of heart attacks. "Although I didn't have a heart attack per se, I was certainly going down that path," he admitted. "I kept making excuses. My advice? Stop the guessing. Early testing is the only way to go. That testing saved my life."

Jerry is back to work and feeling better than ever. And he is grateful to OSF for his care. "I can't say enough about the medical staff that I encountered throughout this whole ordeal. Everything went very smoothly as I transitioned from one stage to the next. From the stress test team to the ER staff who worked to get me to the right hospital to take care of my heart issue to the coordinated care that was arranged for me back in my hometown area for nursing care and rehab activities," Jerry said. "I'm enjoying my grandkids so much more because I can physically keep up with them. It's all good."

One year ago, Alyssa Noonen wasn’t sure what the future held for her.

In February 2021, she had just graduated from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Her future was wide open. But when the apartment she was in caught fire in the middle of the night, her whole world changed.

“It was 4:30 a.m. when the fire alarms went off. I knew I had to run,” she said. “But before I could escape, I passed out and had to be rescued by the fire department.”

The Roscoe resident suffered third-degree burns on 50% of her body and was airlifted from Kishwaukee Emergency Department to OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.

Dr. Stathis Poulakidas, surgeon and critical care specialist at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, took over her care. She underwent two skin graft surgeries, lung treatments and endured hours of bandage changes.

“The cleanings and bandage changes were the most painful thing you can imagine,” she said. “But Dr. Poulakidas is the best. I loved having him as a doctor.”

Over six weeks, Noonen slowly improved, transitioning from critical care to physical, occupational and speech therapy.

It took the better part of a year, but Noonen is back on her feet again. She graduated from therapy in December 2021.

She’s feeling better every day and looks forward to the day when she can put her art degree to good use.

“I was lucky. I had an awesome support system. My family was with me every day,” she said. “You can’t let yourself get down. The pain is only temporary. The sun always shines after the rain.”

To thank her caretakers at OSF, Noonen and her family recently provided lunch for the neurotrauma unit where she stayed. Noonen says she’s grateful for a second chance at life.

“I can’t thank OSF staff enough,” she says. “Everyone was so comforting and helpful. I couldn’t have gone to a better hospital for my care.”  

February 4, 2022, was like any other Friday for 72-year-old Freeport resident Gerald “Jerry” Harnish. It was shocking how fast that changed.

“It was four in the afternoon, and I went to the basement to get the laundry,” he said. “I was almost back up the stairs when I lost my balance and fell backward down the stairs to the basement floor.”

Fortunately, Jerry’s wife and son were home and called for help.

The Freeport Ambulance Service was able to get Jerry out of the basement and rush him to FHN Memorial Hospital Emergency Department.

The emergency staff found Jerry had a broken neck, separated shoulder, concussion and numerous bruises and cuts. He was in a lot of pain, and his blood pressure was low. They decided the best course of action was to transfer Jerry to the Level-1 Trauma Center at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.

“The team at OSF Saint Anthony stabilized my blood pressure and got my pain tolerable,” he said. “They did an excellent job. The nurses were great.”

Stabilized, Jerry spent 20 days in the hospital and started working with OSF Rehabilitation.

He is now receiving outpatient therapy and recovering at home.

“I still struggle with my stamina and have some pain in my head and neck, but I’m doing much better,” he said. “From the Freeport EMS and hospital teams to OSF Saint Anthony’s, everybody did a great job. I’m very pleased with the outcome.

His advice to others is, “don’t fall down steps – especially backward.”

We're a Level 1 Trauma center and were the first in Rockford to earn this distinction. In fact, the trauma program at OSF Saint Anthony has been verified by the Committee on Trauma of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).

The ACS trauma center verification means that all care associated with our trauma program, virtually every department from Lifeline ambulance to the emergency department and neuro trauma intensive care to infection control, is recognized as one of the best in the nation.

The trauma program at OSF Saint Anthony is now one of only two Illinois hospitals that have achieved this verification.

We have the only burn unit in northern Illinois and are one of only five burn centers in the whole state. Our Regional Burn Unit specializes in treating serious burns. We have specialized equipment and extensively trained staff, who are experts in the short-term and long-term treatment of burns.

The burn center at OSF Saint Anthony provides support for patients at every phase of injury. This means you'll have experts in your corner every step of the way from trauma care to treatment for shock and surgical repair to longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Learn More

When it comes to the heart, we have the largest and most respected cardiovascular team in the Rockford area, OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute, which means more doctors and more specialized expertise all working together to provide you the best possible heart care. We're leading with innovative procedures performed locally, saving lives and helping our patients return to a healthier and happier lifestyle.

OSF Saint Anthony performs the most procedures in north central Illinois. When every minute matters, accelerating the average time it takes to start this balloon procedure can be the difference between life and death.

Our team members are continuously on the leading edge of cardiovascular medicine with technologies and procedures such as TAVR, a heart valve replacement surgery done with a small catheter; Micra, the world's smallest pacemaker for slow or irregular heart rate (bradycardia); the Impella heart pump, the world's smallest heart pump for maintaining blood flow during high-risk interventions; and WATCHMAN, a procedure that can eliminate the need for blood thinners for patients with atrial fibrillation.

OSF Saint Anthony has the FIRST designated Comprehensive Stroke and Aneurysm Center in Rockford, the highest level of stroke certification available, which means our neurology team is ready day and night and includes neurointerventionalists, neuroradiologists, neurologists and neurosurgeons. One of our neurointerventionalists literally wrote the book on strokes.

And we use all the latest and most appropriate tools available. OSF HealthCare invested $3 million in a new stroke surgical intervention procedure room for procedures like thrombectomies, which can improve patients' chance of recovery and ability to live independently after 90 days to 49%, compared to 13% for traditional methods. We also invested in the most advanced tools available. Maybe that's why we treat more stroke patients than any other medical center in the Rockford area. Complete aneurysm treatment means care close to home for a variety of complex, life-threatening issues.

As a leader in the treatment of traumatic injuries, cardiac and neurological emergencies and other life-threatening conditions, OSF Saint Anthony cares for more than 1,100 trauma patients a year from northern and central Illinois and southern Wisconsin. But don't take our word for it. Read or view the stories of our many critical care patients we have served with greatest care and love.