Gabriel Marceca

“I can’t show enough gratitude, there aren’t enough words to express how what they did for me touched my life and my family’s life.”

Gabriel Marceca woke up in a strange bed, in a strange room and had no idea why he was there. The ventilator tube down his throat and sensors connected to beeping machines offered clues: he was clinging to life after a horrific motorcycle crash. What seemed like a flash to him was actually 17 frantic hours of Gabriel’s family trying to figure out why he hadn’t come home from the gym. 

First responders would later tell them an oncoming car turned left in front of Gabriel’s motorcycle as he was going through an intersection. It happened in Westminster, less than a block from a fire station. Gabriel, knocked unconscious, was loaded into an ambulance and was transported to HealthONE’s North Suburban Medical Center in less than five minutes after the crash. He was rushed to emergency surgery to stabilize him for an AirLife helicopter transfer to Swedish Medical Center’s Level 1 Trauma Center, where surgeons performed another two operations overnight to save his life. The damage was severe: an open pelvic fracture, severed liver and colon, punctured lung and numerous broken bones. 

As Gabriel was first coming out of anesthesia, trauma nurses had two priorities: explain what happened to him and figure out who he was. Gabriel’s clothes were lost in the crash response and instead of sharing his ID with paramedics, police checked it into evidence. He’d been listed as a John Doe since he came in. Moments after he was able to scribble his name on a piece of paper (he couldn’t speak on the ventilator), Gabriel’s mom, Stephanie, finally tracked down where he was taken after the crash and called to Swedish’s trauma intensive care unit (ICU).

“The nurse tried to keep me really calm on the phone, but she said he was in critical condition on a ventilator. They said they were hopeful he could make a full recovery,” she said. “But when we got to the ICU, well, it was a sight that is beyond a parent's worst nightmare. We didn’t know what to think.”

Stephanie said, initially, because of the severe injuries and wounds that couldn’t be immediately closed from all the internal bleeding, doctors gave Gabriel a 5% survival rate. “He overcame that because, thank God, the trauma team at Swedish is phenomenal. They were so supportive the entire time. When I would get overwhelmed, they were reassuring and addressed every question or concern immediately,” she said.

Gabriel’s recovery was long, difficult and touched nearly every specialty offered at Swedish: orthopedic reconstruction, skin grafts, a muscle flap to keep blood flowing through his pelvis held together by numerous rods and screws, as well as broken bones in his left wrist and both feet. Once Gabriel was well enough to leave the ICU, he was confined to his bed on the multi trauma unit for another eight weeks. 

All that time being motionless significantly weakened him, to the point that even the most basic physical therapy caused Gabriel’s blood pressure to crash. Despite setbacks, Gabriel says his care team’s dedication helped him keep pushing forward, “I had really great nurses and the doctors on my team were probably the best doctors I have ever encountered. Everyone was very attentive.” Stephanie still gets emotional thinking back about those challenging weeks. She said through it all, the staff cared for Gabriel with a level of humility that touched her whole family, “They said, ‘It's not us. It's not us.’ And it's like, well, yes, Gabriel had the ability to get better but at the same time, if it wasn't for their demeanor, professionalism and their genuine care, it wouldn’t have ignited that urgency for him to recover in the same way.”

To share his appreciation for the doctors and nurses who took care of him after his crash, Gabriel attended Swedish Medical Center’s Trauma Survivors Day in 2023, an event to reunite patients and care providers so they can discuss the lasting impact these trauma incidents have on everyone.

Gabriel said he wanted them to know he’ll always be grateful, “They do this job selflessly every day without even thinking about it. There are a lot of times they don't get the thank yous they deserve. I hope me speaking out helps them realize there is gratitude for them and what they do— dedicating their lives to saving and serving others.”

Learn more about our Level 1 Trauma Center, Burn and Reconstructive Center, Emergency Care and AirLife, HealthONE’s patient air and ground transport service.