Saved Twice: A Teacher's Story at ProMedica Toledo Hospital

In critical, life-threatening moments, knowing your care is in the right hands can make all the difference. It did for Elaine Burns Podach, whose life was saved twice at ProMedica Toledo Hospital – once as a child after a horrific accident, and again as an adult with an unknown heart condition.

Here is Elaine's story, in her own words.

Grateful for Life-Saving Care

My life was saved at Toledo Hospital not once, but twice, and I am beyond thankful. Not only did I get to go on and live my life, in the 20 years between both experiences, I was able to become a more grateful and mindful person. I get to impact children’s lives as a 3rd grade teacher for the past 20 years.

In 1993 at 11 years old, I was life flighted to Toledo Hospital after a snowmobile accident which resulted in facial lacerations, a retinal detachment, broken bones, and a lot of trauma. With an extremely scared family by my side, the doctors and nurses worked to save my life as well as to make sure I went into junior high with as little impact of the facial scaring as possible. The ophthalmologic team saved my vision as well as the plastic surgeon worked to fix me - even braiding my hair as to not lose any. As the days went on in my new accessories of stitches, staples, bandages, and even an eye patch, the neurological team checked endlessly to make sure any brain injury was assessed. While I missed a significant amount of school, I made a full recovery, in time, and continue to feel blessed by this experience.

In 2013, fortunately for me, a caring, knowledgeable, well prepared Toledo Hospital staff was there to save my life once again and comfort my fear filled family. Our son Reid was stillborn as a result of my pregnancy experiencing HELLP syndrome. As my blood pressure reached way beyond stroke levels, I comfortingly knew from my experience 20 years prior that I was absolutely in the right place to save my life. Between the cardiology and maternal fetal medicine teams, I knew I was in the best hands at each and every point. During this experience, I took on fluid that could only be removed by the use of a surgically placed pericardial window/chest tube. After several echocardiograms, caths, and blood draws, I was diagnosed with a heart condition I would have never known I had if it was not for this pregnancy. Nearly 11 years later, I am able to manage it with continued support of ProMedica Cardiology. While we miss our sweet son so much, he truly helped to save my life.

Due to receiving the very best care possible by each individual we encountered, Toledo Hospital holds a very special place in my now healed head and heart.