Partnering with experts to change lives

When Sam Garvin, Vice Chairman of the Phoenix Suns, had to decide where the ambulance should take his wife, he told them to take her to Barrow. He knew that was where she’d receive the very best care.

Rita Garvin was not feeling well and had been experiencing headaches all day. In the evening, she passed out and later learned she had suffered a ruptured aneurysm. Because of the urgency of the situation, she was taken to the nearest hospital to their home but Sam immediately reached out to Barrow to get his wife the help she needed. Barrow President and CEO Dr. Michael Lawton was instrumental in arranging Rita’s emergency surgery and she underwent the procedure with Barrow neurosurgeon, Dr. Andrew Ducret. Within a couple of days of discharge, she was in therapy at the Center for Transitional Neuro-Rehabilitation (CTN), under the direction of Dr. Pamela Klonoff.

Rita feels that her experience at Barrow was very comprehensive. She says,

“Barrow, to my family and to me, saved my life…I am at a loss for words. It’s a huge part of my life. It gave me a second chance.”

Rita feels grateful for the doctors, therapists and nurses she met. She felt Barrow took care of her as a whole person and that the rehabilitation process was extraordinary. The medical team included her husband and adult children throughout her care. She had such a positive experience that she continues to keep in touch with some of the other patients she met. Rita attributes the strong bond to the caring therapists at CTN who foster a contagiously positive environment for patients, and in turn, impact their outlook on life.

Rita also adds, “Everybody goes above and beyond.” Once she recovered, she and her husband wanted to give back to Barrow, accepting the challenge to help our doctors and researchers change the course of medicine for others. She explains, “We had such a positive experience and we wanted to impact other people to take advantage of Barrow. We can partner with the experts to give them the resources they need to change other people’s lives.” Their gifts to benefit aneurysm research and the CTN program not only support the work Barrow does today, but also the studies and equipment that will lead to better treatments tomorrow.