Stroke of Genius: HealthONE Teams Up to Save Pregnant Mother, Baby

Rose Medical Center, AirLife Denver and Swedish Medical Center – members of HealthONE, a division of HCA Healthcare – worked together to save a pregnant mother from a sudden stroke. Discover how the various moving parts, quick thinking teams and a mother’s will to live sparked this incredible success story.

It’s a Stroke

Mandy Banks noticed she was moving slower than normal and struggling to remember names on the day she went to HCA Healthcare-affiliate Rose Medical Center for her 38-week pregnancy check-up. When doctors examined Mandy, it quickly became apparent something was not quite right. The treatment team quickly performed an MRI and recognized in Mandy the American Stroke Association’s warning signs of a stroke.

Breathe New Life, Save Another

After undergoing an emergency C-section to ensure the safe delivery of her son, Dean, a CAT scan revealed a massive hemorrhagic stroke in Mandy’s left temporal lobe. Within minutes of her stroke diagnosis, doctors arranged for an AirLife Denver to transport Mandy eight miles away to Swedish Medical Center, Colorado’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center, for an immediate surgical decompression.

With the risk of permanent brain damage increasing by the second, the neurosurgery team had an already-prepared operating room at Swedish and were awaiting Mandy’s arrival. They performed an emergency procedure to relieve the pressure caused by the stroke, ultimately, saving Mandy’s life.

Road to Recovery

Doctors warned of Mandy’s potential for brain damage, something her husband, Matt, especially feared with a newborn child. Soon after surgery, Mandy began an extensive rehabilitation program that had its fair share of setbacks. Today, Mandy has made an almost-full recovery – a tribute to her dedication to rehab and positive, unrelenting spirit.

And to the various HealthONE organizations that played a part – from the OB/GYN team at Rose Medical Center to the airlift crew at AirLife Denver to the neurosurgery and stroke team at Swedish Medical Center – THANK YOU! Mandy and her husband Matt are now enjoying a busy, healthy boy!

Watch Mandy’s inspiring story below and see firsthand how three HealthONE organizations came together to provide her with exceptional care.