Mac Graff 480 359 While on a weekend hunting trip during his junior year of high school, Mac Graff lost his balance and fell about 15 feet out of a tree. This fall broke his back, paralyzing him from the waist down. Despite his uncertainty for how his injuries would impact his future, Mac knew t

Whenever Cameron Tweedy wants to remind himself how far he’s come, all he has to do is glance down at his arm. A tattoo displays the date his life changed forever: July 23, 2019.

Harry A. Green 480 359 Harry A. Green was born and raised in the in St. Aloysius neighborhood just a few blocks away from Gonzaga University campus. Harry is known in the community for his passion for rowing, his senior housing developments and for his master potter skills. When Harry began his car

Bruce Au 480 359 In February 2019 Bruce Au's lungs collapse and his heart stopped while admitted at Providence Holy Family Hospital. He had arrived with Influenza A, Influenza B and an infection, all of which escalated when combined with his Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). He spen

Tonie McLachlan 480 359 On Christmas evening of 2017, Tonie never expected that her life would change forever. She came home from all the holiday festivities and knew something wasn't right, so she called 911 and the ambulance took her to Providence Scared Heart Hospital. At first, the doctors didn

Shaela Mamuzich 480 359 About 30 miles outside of Missoula, Mont., Shaela Mamuzich, 17 years old, was driving with her brother, Dakota, when the worst happened. They were in a car accident with an ambulance. Dakota, a paramedic with a local volunteer fire department, was able to keep Shaela's airway

Helen Wilson 480 359 As Helen Wilson put it, "I was on my way out of this world" when her daughter Wendy moved her from southern California to Spokane for treatment. Diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in her 70s, Helen says she managed to live fairly well before the acute o

Janet Holloway's first association with St. Luke's was in the mid-1950s, when she was a nursing student. Washington State University (WSU) -- then Washington State College--came to the then St. Luke's Hospital to offer a Bachelor of Science degree program in Nursing...

 Bass player for the Spokane Symphony, Patrick McNally had played a Labor Day concert in Spokane and the very next day just didn’t feel himself...

 “How could this happen?” Karen McQuarrie asked her husband’s neurologist at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center after he suffered a stroke. Ron, aged 69 of Colville, Wash., had no major history of medical problems and is now recovering after multiple blood clots in his carotid artery caused his stroke...

Sidney Ritter's life changed at just 18 years old as she headed home with her best friend to Spokane during holiday break at Washington State University. On this drive home the pair were involved in a tragic car accident, one that took the life of Sidney's friend on impact. Si

Casey Bantz 480 359 At 35 years old, Casey Bantz of Spokane isn't who many would expect to be at St. Luke's Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation program after suffering a heart attack at a young age. Casey is sharing her experience to help others realize heart disease can happen at varying stages of li

Stevan Alburty 480 359 By the time Stevan Alburty arrived at St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute for the Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program, he was in a state of hypoxia, where not enough oxygen was circulating in his body at the tissue level.  "I had been having problems with shortn

Preston Ochsner of Spokane, Wash., didn't think the Cardiac and Pulmonary Program at St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute fit into his lifestyle. The prescribed 36 visits after having his heart attack seemed like too many. But, he says, once he fully committed to the idea of...

"I just tripped and fell on the floor, and for the life of me I couldn't get back up," says former St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute patient, Michael Andersen. Active in his retirement, Michael's fall was not the cause of the back pain he had been experiencing...

It wasn't at a spa or a weekend retreat that Spokane resident and middle school teacher, Chris Vogel, age 51, found his healing experience. It happened during his 36 visits to St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute's Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Program after he suffered...

Angela Flink 480 359 Angela Flink, 47 years old from Spokane, thought her episodes of rapid heartbeat and feeling a little weaker was simply a reaction to a decongestant she had taken. Without a family history of heart disease, she had no indication she was having a heart attack.  "I kind of

For any parent or family member to know their child is in pain is nothing short of agonizing. When Jennifer Southwick of Potlatch, Idaho heard from a neighbor that her 12-year-old son, Kaleb, and 10-year-old daughter, Ryleigh, had been in a 4-wheeler accident along with a friend...

At 28 years old, Ryan Remington of Medical Lake, Wash. and his wife, Miranda, knew the back pain caused by a car accident could only worsen if they did not seek treatment immediately.

60 year old Jeff Zeiger considers himself fairly well informed about health. He earned his doctorate in health, physical education and leisure science and served as a professor for 25 years.

Jenny Volland is as upbeat as they come. At age 50, she is also healthy and relatively young to have suffered from heart disease, especially since she had no prior symptoms and no family history. But after waking up and feeling a little "off," Jenny says her optimism was tested...

While going to breakfast after an intense CrossFit workout, Andrea Staton took a wrong step off of the sidewalk and heard a loud pop in her calf muscle. “I turned to see who threw a snowball at me – then the pain set in,” she says.

Stephanie Ingwaldson, a nurse at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, was used to taking care of patients. She never expected that one day she would be a patient herself. Stephanie injured her neck and was unable to work.

Dan Bonogofski’s daughter, Susan Osborn, says it started with a few slurred words after his typical Wednesday evening 5k run during Spokane’s summer months. “He always records his time and distance,” Susan says. “When he tried that night, we noticed he was having trouble writi

Ryan McElgunn, 39, never thought that as a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute he would one day be a patient. Ryan has worked for St. Luke’s since 2009 in both inpatient and outpatient settings, helping patients recover from spinal cord i

Ed Hamilton was asked where he would like to go for his rehabilitation therapy, and he chose St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute. “I know how they work with you,” he says. And even though the therapy may be difficult, Ed says it pays off in the end."

Kate Odorizzi 480 359 In 2012, Southwest Airlines landed at the St. Luke’s Community in Spokane, Washington, a 2,200 square foot real-life therapy area at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute dedicated to helping people recover after an injury or illness. A portion of a fuselage sponsored by Southwe