First Person Archive
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February 23, 2023
Learning how to “Stop the Bleed” is something we all can do
Stop the Bleed courses, like those taught at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, teach any of us – even those without medical training – how to save some of those lives. -
December 20, 2022
Last Christmas, I knew a liver transplant was my only chance to survive. This holiday, I’m alive because of the ultimate gift.
It never leaves my thoughts that someone I don't know made it possible for me to still be here. -
July 21, 2022
Allie had a stroke when she was 2 years old. Her doctor tells the story of her resilience and her family’s love.
Allie had a blood clot deep in her brain and had only a 5 percent chance of survival. -
February 4, 2022
A memoir of the COVID years: a Vanderbilt ICU nurse remembers patients who died, families who wept, and discovers the importance of hearing “thank you” and caring for herself
"I realized that my mechanism of avoiding and ignoring death in the workplace had taken its toll on me." -
November 1, 2021
I was a volunteer shower-taker for Emergency Preparedness. I came away impressed — and very clean.
A drill tests how well the Medical Center would be able to respond during an actual disaster, and serves as response training for VUMC personnel. -
June 11, 2020
My daughter was born in the middle of the pandemic. She is going to get very tired of hearing that story when she’s older.
I can already picture Natalie rolling her eyes when she's 16. -
April 9, 2020
My daughter had surgery at Children’s Hospital during the COVID-19 changes. Here’s what was different — and what was, thankfully, the same.
Temperature checks and social distancing were very different. The care and concern had not changed at all.