Timothy McCree arrived at Mercy Health — St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital with a catastrophic brain injury and a grim prognosis. But thanks to the specialized expertise and advanced technology in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit that you support with your gift, Tim received something few thought possible: a chance to fully recover. 

“The Neuro ICU didn’t just save my brother’s life,” says Patricia Blackburn. “They gave him dignity and the chance to live well again.” 

Timothy suffered a ruptured aneurysm that caused massive bleeding throughout his brain. He was unconscious and just hours away from hospice care. When the source of the bleeding was identified, the Neuro ICU team acted immediately. They responded with aggressive, around-the-clock treatment. They stopped the bleeding, protected his brain and preserved his quality of life. 

Patricia remembers that the physicians and nurses never treated her brother as someone who couldn’t recover. Their focus wasn’t simply on saving his life; it was on helping him regain it. 

Today, Tim is talking, laughing, reading, eating on his own and learning to walk again. Patricia says the recovery has exceeded anything their family thought possible. 

“Against all odds, his caregivers always treated him like he was going to live,” she says. 

Patricia believes the care her brother received demonstrates what’s possible when donors support the dedicated Neuro Intensive Care Unit. 

“I will be forever grateful,” she says. “They saved my brother’s life, and I truly believe the care they provided can change the way we look at brain injuries and what’s possible for recovery.”