Because of Siskin Hospital I can Protect Chattanooga Again

In emergency situations, Jay knew what to do. His entire adulthood was spent protecting others when they needed it most. Yet in a split second, Jay became the one who needed the help. In April of 2022, Jay experienced a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital where he was able to receive the care he desperately needed to survive. But Jay knew that he needed to do more than just survive, he had to find a way to get back to the work he loved.

And Jay believes that Siskin Hospital was the way. Jay was immediately placed in the Young Stroke Program which is designed to help stroke patients get back to the life they love. He worked day in and out, never backing down. His therapists, Meredith Russell and Jonathan Lane, pushed him everyday toward healing. They also encouraged Jay to find new ways to take care of himself. He learned a healthier eating style as well as exercises that would help him heal faster.

It was time for Jay to move into outpatient therapy and he did so with quick purpose. He knew his goal was to get back to his job as a Red Bank Police Officer. Within a short time, Jay’s goal was met. He put on the uniform with a new appreciation of what it means to take care of his community. And to take care of himself. His wife now makes him a healthy lunch everyday and he joined a gym for the first time in his life. In caring for himself, Jay has learned he can better care for others.

When Jay pulled his patrol car into the Siskin Hospital entrance last week, he was a new man. Stronger, healthier and extremely grateful. It was a reminder to us all that Siskin Hospital is a place where patients learn to thrive, even after something as devastating as a stroke. Yet we would be nothing without patients like Jay who remind us why our work matters. Jay is now out doing the work he loves while we continue to do the work we love.