"They were responsible for keeping me alive," Denise said.
Denise was on her way home when she was involved in a serious car accident.
With first responders quickly arriving on the scene, she was stabilized and transferred to the emergency and trauma center at McLaren Macomb. Her husband, Andy, notified by the police, was on his way.
"I didn't realize just how bad of shape she was in," he later said. "Outright, she should not have survived that."
Remarkably, her broken bones were nondisplaced. A brain bleed soon stopped on its own and physicians treated the severe laceration to her head that caused her to nearly bleed to death.
"It was amazing I didn't need surgery. I was handled with such care," Denise said. "They quickly responded to everything during a time when I didn't know what was going on."
Andy, having lived through some of the worst moments of his life but eternally grateful for the medical care his wife received, also took notice of the way caregivers and staff comforted not only his wife, but him and his family during this agonizing time.
"Everyone was very soothing and comforting to the whole family," said Andy, who remains very appreciative. "It's great knowing they extend care beyond the patient."
This includes physicians and nurses as well as caregivers and security officers.
"It felt extremely good knowing my family was in great hands," Denise said.
Having spent several days in the ICU, she soon left the hospital after a week and a half, transferring to a facility to continue her recovery. Months later, she is still making progress.
Overwhelmed by their support, Andy and Denise felt compelled to thank their caregivers. It meant a lot to them to do so. It helped provide closure.
Read Denise and Andy's heartfelt thank-you to their caregivers at mclaren.org/macombgratefulpatient.