In 2017, Wade Bennett of Hackett, Arkansas, was 50, and physically active, both in his work as the owner of his company, WB Drywall, and in his leisure time. He also thought he was in good health. “I had a golf tournament coming up and I was swinging an eight iron in my yard and…
Feb. 25, 2020 | Maturing into adulthood often means leaving familiar things behind while embracing new ones, and Jayla Buford did just that in late 2019 as a sickle cell patient. Buford had been receiving care through the sickle cell program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital since she was 4. In late 2019, now an adult,…
Emily and Michael Baker are no novices when it comes to being the parent of a premature baby. Their daughter, Isabella, 3, and son, Bradley who is nearly 2, are both graduates of the UAMS neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). And now their son Joshua, born Jan. 14 at 28 weeks and 2 days, is…
Matthew Koshinski believes the car crash he was in two years ago saved his life. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2018, he wasn’t feeling his best. But the 22-year-old supervisor at UPS went in to work anyway. “I didn’t think much of it. I just thought I’d push through it.” He ended up leaving…
After 10 years of abusing drugs, Patrisha Pettus was prepared to die. “I actually thought my addiction was going to kill me,” said Pettus, 35. “I had accepted it, I was waiting to die.” Pettus’ drug of choice was Dilaudid, a powerful opioid narcotic used to treat moderate to severe pain. “And then I’d use…
Nurses, obstetricians and midwives in UAMS Labor and Delivery are excited about a new option to relieve pain for laboring mothers. In January, UAMS Medical Center became the first hospital in central Arkansas to offer nitrous oxide during labor. Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas, is sometimes used during dental procedures. This option is…
David Sutton of St. Petersburg, Florida, was 42 and had an 18-month-old son when, on New Year’s Eve of 2004, he was diagnosed with myeloma and given a bleak prognosis from a cancer treatment center near his home. In response, his local oncologist sent him to the UAMS Myeloma Center for a second opinion. “I…
For Grace Shield, nursing is more than a career. It’s a way of life. With 14 years on the job, she has seen her share of both typical and unusual medical cases. That confidence was turned on its head in October 2017 when Shield suddenly found herself in the role of patient and her colleagues searching for answers to a set of overwhelming and unusual symptoms.
Jackie Dawson is teaching her four grandchildren to enjoy the outdoors. So far, they have learned to hike and bike. The two oldest boys (9 and 11) have also learned to waterski. In spring 2018, Dawson found herself slowing down because the pain in her knees became unbearable. “I understand the benefits and risks of…
A standing-room-only crowd gathered Dec. 17, including members of the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute Advisory Board, to celebrate John Shock, M.D., and the 40 years he has given in service to UAMS. Faculty, staff, patients and others gathered to share memories of Shock’s many years of service and many accomplishments as former chair…