Steve Brown wanted to be a firefight since he was a child — a dream he fulfilled eight years ago. Thanks to the strength of Bon Secours Neurosciences and the generosity of donors like you, he can continue living that dream.

“I’ve waited my whole life to be a firefighter,” says Steve. “If it weren’t for Bon Secours, I would have had to give up my dream job.”

Steve was on duty when he took a blow to the head by a heavy wooden brace. The wound was painful, but it was treated like any other. Hours later, Steve became confused. He even had trouble speaking. An emergency CT scan found no damage from the injury but did show a rare 5.5-millimeter colloid cyst.

Steve’s wife Holly is a lead interventional radiology technologist for Bon Secours. She recommended Steve see a neurosurgeon at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital.

He advised surgery. When Steve’s cyst was removed, it had already grown and shifted to the side. It was nearly blocking a ventricle, which could have been deadly.

“The way the doctor explained it to me, I could have had severe hydrocephalus. You get the absolute worst headache of your entire life. And then eight hours later, you’re dead.”

Steve said his care at Bon Secours has been phenomenal.

“I spent 19 months after surgery trying to fight my way back. I had to get mentally prepared to come back to work,” says Steve. “Without everybody at Bon Secours, it would have never happened.”

Now, Steve can continue that dream he had as a child. He is once again a firefighter. Thanks to you.