Mandy Banks

Mandy Banks noticed she was moving slower than normal and struggling to remember names on the day she went to Rose Medical Center for her 38-week pregnancy check-up. When doctors examined Mandy, it quickly became apparent something was not quite right. Thanks to the rapid thinking by the Rose Medical Center treatment team during an MRI, the team recognized the American Stroke Association’s F.A.S.T. warning signs and sprung into action.

Bringing in a new life and saving another

After undergoing an emergency C-section to ensure the safe delivery of her son, Dean, a CAT scan revealed a massive hemorrhagic stroke in Mandy’s left temporal lobe. Because an immediate surgical decompression was required, and Colorado’s only Comprehensive Stroke Center was eight miles away at Swedish Medical Center, doctors arranged for AirLife Denver to fly Mandy to Swedish within minutes of her stroke diagnosis.

With the risk of permanent brain damage increasing by the second, the neurosurgery team and an already-prepared operating room at Swedish were awaiting Mandy’s arrival. The team then performed an emergency temporal craniotomy to relieve the pressure caused by the stroke and save Mandy’s life.

Road to recovery

After a successful procedure, doctors warned of Mandy’s potential for brain damage, something her husband, Matt, especially feared with a newborn child. Soon after surgery, Mandy began an extensive rehabilitation program on a road to recovery that had its fair share of setbacks. A tribute to her dedication to rehab, positivity and unrelenting spirit, Mandy make an almost-full recovery.

From the OB/GYN team at Rose Medical Center and the airlift crew at AirLife Denver to the neurosurgery and stroke team at Swedish Medical Center, collaboration and effectiveness among so many moving parts are also to thank for Mandy’s swift recovery. With the various HealthONE organizations taking care of Mandy, she and Matt are now enjoying caring for a busy, healthy boy!

Watch Mandy’s inspiring story and see firsthand how these three HealthONE organizations came together to provide her with exceptional care.