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ARCHBOLD.ORG
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WINTER 2016
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when you have something like this.”
“Even though she couldn’t really
respond, we knew how critical it was for
Haley to know that her children were there
and were OK,” said Shelli Roberts, RN, one
of the nurses who cared for Haley. “We also
knew how important it was for Haley to
bond with her newborn.”
According to Shelli, the nurses made
sure Haley had skin-to-skin contact with
newborn Kate. They also played record-
ings of Gracie’s voice.
“Even though I don’t remember their
visits, I was also told my vital signs would
improve when I’d feel the touch of Kate and
hear Gracie’s voice,” said Haley. “I’m so grate-
ful for the amazing nurses that went above
and beyond to ensure my children were
close to me. They knew my girls needed
me, just as much as I needed them.”
Watching and waiting
Every part of Haley’s treatment was care-
fully thought out.
“We watched her very closely and
ultimately made the difficult decision not
to operate,” Dr. Kadis said. “That entailed
watching closely and scanning very
frequently and waiting to see how things
would progress.
“In Haley’s case, things gradually
improved, so we never actually had to
operate. But we did lend a lot of emo-
tional support to her family…they were a
courageous bunch.”
Studies show that loved ones who feel
supported are better able to help their
patients. And while a strong support
system is important for all patients, that’s
especially true for stroke patients.
“My family felt very loved and very much
supported by all Archbold staff members,”
Haley said. “From the physicians and
nurses, to the housekeeping staff, and
even the Archbold CEO, the entire staff
made sure my family’s every want and
need was taken care of. They were well
informed about my care and lacked for
nothing while I was a patient at Archbold.”
The road to recovery
After a month, Haley made enough
progress to leave Archbold. Now, four
years later, she’s still making headway.
“I am relearning many of the skills
I learned as a child, such as reading,”
Haley said. “My family continues to see
improvements daily.”
Haley is busy with physical therapy and
caring for her family. And yet she recently
took time to visit Archbold and thank Dr.
Kadis and the care team who helped her
through that first difficult month.
“It’s humbling to hear, ‘Thank you for
saving my life,’” Shelli said. “It was so
overwhelming to reunite with Haley and
her family and to know that we played
such a big part in her recovery.”
“When I met Shelli and all the nurses
who took care of me, they just wrapped
their arms around me and we all cried,”
Haley said. “I love Dr. Kadis and the ICU
staff. It felt good to express my grati-
tude to them. My family’s story is just
one example of the kind of compassion
Archbold shows their patients and their
families, and we are forever grateful for
how we were treated and everything
they did for us.”
From left, Janet Hammock, Haley’s mother-in-law; Carolyn Croft, Haley’s mother; Sara
Searcy, RN; Amy Brogan, RN; Gerald Kadis, MD; Haley Hammock; Shelli Roberts, RN;
Megan Walker, RN; Michelle Collins, Director of Archbold Volunteer Services.