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12 ARCHBOLD
MEDICAL CENTER
IN SEPTEMBER
of 2011, Haley
Hammock; her husband, Jacob; and
daughter, Gracie, welcomed baby Kate
to the family. Just a few days later, Haley
experienced an excruciating headache. By
the time her mother-in-law arrived to look
after the girls, Haley was having a seizure.
She’d had a massive brain hemorrhage
that caused a stroke.
“I really have no recollection of that
day except for what I have been told by
family members,” Haley said. “I’ve been
told I wasn’t expected to survive.”
It was the beginning of a long journey.
And for the mother of two from Colquitt
County, it started with a month in
Archbold’s intensive care unit (ICU).
The ins and outs of intensive care
The ICU is where patients in the most
critical condition are cared for. Skilled
doctors and nurses are there around the
clock, using tools like heart and oxy-
gen monitors to keep track of patients’
condition.
“Archbold has one of the most sophis-
ticated ICUs in the region,” said Archbold
neurosurgeon Gerald Kadis, MD. “We’re
able to provide very specialized care for
patients like Haley, who have had a stroke.
But we also see patients as a result of
trauma or other acute and critical illnesses.”
Haley was admitted to Archbold’s ICU
with a very severe hemorrhage.
“This was a very large hemorrhage in
an important part of her brain—the part
that controls speech function and motor
function over the right side of the body,”
Dr. Kadis said.
A sad coincidence
Haley’s stroke wasn’t related to her preg-
nancy, but her condition was severe.
“She was close to a coma, so she
required a lot of supportive therapy,” Dr.
Kadis said. “Virtually all of the support
functions of the hospital come into play