On 3-year anniversary of life-saving surgery, neuro team and patient celebrate
On May 19, at 1:00pm, in Saint Joseph’s Medical Center Auditorium B & C, in honor of National Stroke Awareness Month, Conner Nash will pay a visit to the neurosurgical team that helped save his life three years ago to the day. His incredible story is one of determination, as well as that of a medical center certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center, equipped with state-of-the-art tech and an expert, skilled team of neurosurgeons, physicians and neuro/stroke experts. He and his parents will share some of his story of recovery, and physicians will detail what the public should know about recognizing the signs of stroke in others to save their lives. As they say, “time equals brain function” and the faster treatment is administered, the better the outcome.
As a combat medic serving in the Army Reserves, Conner Nash had to undergo rigorous, regular field training sessions. So, on May 18, 2022, when he returned home exhausted and collapsed into bed, his mother Tracy didn’t think much of it. “Oh, they really work these guys during training sessions, like mini-boot camps,” says Tracy. “But, when I went to wake him in the morning, he didn’t move. He was rigid, he couldn’t speak, couldn’t follow commands. (My husband) Eric and I knew we were witnessing something very serious, and we rushed him to Saint Joseph’s.”
Colleen Grandowski, nurse practitioner and stroke program manager at Saint Joseph’s explained, “When Conner arrived the team knew immediately this was a serious stroke. He’d probably suffered it almost 24 hours earlier, and on the NIH (National Institutes of Health) stroke scale, he was really bad.” They determined that he had a blood clot in the main artery feeding the left side of his brain and already severe swelling had set in. Tamir Hersonskey, M.D., Saint Joseph’s leading neurosurgeon, removed a section of his cranium to relieve the pressure. What Conner and his parents could not know was that it would be another 4-6 months before Dr. Hersonskey could replace his skull due to the severity of the swelling.
Amber Luna, Saint Joseph’s Stroke operations manager shared what the team determined with Conner. “On the Rankin severity scale of zero to six, with six being death, Conner was a four, he was critical, but we were confident we could get him back,” she said. The stroke and neuro team decided to first transfer him to Shirley Ryan Rehab for further assessment, and when he returned to Saint Joseph’s, he began a rigorous regimen. His speech and motor skills began improving, and by 2023, Conner and his mom Traci climbed the 2,159 stairs (105 flights) of the Willis Tower in Chicago for charity. Triumph over stroke comes in small steps, and many of them. Conner is still working his rehab to get back what was lost three years ago, but his future is bright. He wants others know what symptoms of stroke to look for.
Join us May 19, at 1:00pm, in Saint Joseph’s Medical Center Auditorium B & C, where you’ll learn firsthand from Conner how he made it back, his story, as told by his neurosurgeon, Dr. Hersonskey, and Dr. Kaiz Asif explains what to know about stroke, its symptoms, and what to do when you recognize someone may be suffering a stroke.