Most people don’t survive such a tear, but this 58-year-old did, thanks largely to fast action by his GlenOaks colleagues, the skills of a UChicago Medicine cardiovascular surgical team, and subsequent support from his brother, fellow team members and other friends.
Baham, a radiologic technologist at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks, suffered a devastating aortic dissection, a tear in the wall of the aorta from his chest to his kidneys.
Most people don’t survive such a tear, but this 58-year-old did, thanks largely to fast action by his GlenOaks colleagues, the skills of a UChicago Medicine cardiovascular surgical team, and subsequent support from his brother, fellow team members and other friends.
“This is true divine intervention,” said Donna Fitzpatrick, GlenOaks director of radiology.
Fitzpatrick credited GlenOaks CT technologists Tiffany Spino and Aiman Madani for playing key roles in Baham’s survival. When Madani arrived for work at GlenOaks on Monday, Aug. 26, he happened to park next to Baham’s car and noticed that Baham appeared to be asleep in the driver’s seat. Madani alerted Spino, who was preparing to leave work. Knowing Baham was supposed to start his shift soon, she went out to the parking lot, assessed his condition and quickly called the hospital’s emergency department to request a gurney.
“Initially, I thought he was sleeping,” said Spino, a longtime friend of Baham who was concerned about his well-being because of the blistering heat that day. “I said to him, `What are you doing? You’re going to die of heat stroke.’’’ Baham opened his eyes, looked confused and tried to speak but slurred his words. That’s when Spino called for help, fearing he was having a stroke.
After Baham was rushed inside the hospital, Madani performed a CT scan that revealed the aortic dissection. A subsequent CT angiography of Baham’s chest, abdomen and pelvis showed the dissection was extensive. He soon was airlifted by helicopter to UChicago Medicine in Hyde Park for emergency surgery, which lasted more than eight hours.
After spending more than three weeks recuperating at the hospital, Baham was discharged to a rehabilitation hospital. During his time at the hospital, Spino and Brittney Mollicone, a UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks ultrasound technologist, visited with him and stayed in touch regularly. The UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks radiology team is a tightknit group. “It’s like a family,” Baham said. “We’re constantly doing stuff for each other.”
Spino, Mollicone and Baham emphasized that the emergency care he received at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth GlenOaks that day was the same high level of care that anyone in his situation would receive at the hospital. “This is what we do every day,” Baham said.
Fitzpatrick, though, said Baham’s survival hinged on more than excellent medical care. “This is about the spirit in this place, about living the mission and it coming to life,” she said. “Helping out your coworkers like that is not above and beyond. It’s just who we are. The compassion and dedication shown to Marty, even when the situation seemed impossible, is exactly what we’re here to do – to care for the whole person: body, mind and spirit."
Katie Quirke is marketing and communications specialist at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth.
