Explore stories of strength and inspiration from Valley’s patients.

diane

Finding the Right Care Team

After discovering an aortic aneurysm, Diane's journey led her to The Valley Hospital, where she underwent a successful Ross procedure, highlighting the importance of personalized cardiac care.

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Herb Schlomann dancing

Back to the Ballroom

Meet Herb Schlomann and learn how the Watchman FLX device has played a crucial role in the management of his atrial fibrillation.

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Patrice & Yolanda - Patient Story

Worth Every Effort

When Patrice and Yolanda started thinking about their road to family, they came across The Valley Hospital Fertility Center. After a six-year fertility journey, they welcomed their daughter, Judah, into the world.

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karl and his wife

An Amazing Recovery

After being unable to walk due to a repeated meniscus injury, Karl turned to Valley for a knee replacement, and has never felt better.

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Jorge's Story

By Some Miracle

Meet Jorge Ocejo and hear about how The Valley Hospital worked to quickly diagnose and treat his aortic dissection.

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oswen

The Gift of Life

Meet Oswen Chavez and learn why he traveled from Honduras to New Jersey to receive "the gift of life" from the cardiovascular surgery team at The Valley Hospital.

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dan sperry IS

Dan's Story

Treating One of Our Own

When Dan Sperry decided to swing by The Valley Hospital Emergency Department on his way to work for abdominal pain, he did not expect to come out recovering from surgery and with a rare diagnosis.

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Mike Vaccaro

Mike's Story

A New Chapter

In 2022, Mike Vaccaro received a below-knee amputation at The Valley Hospital to treat his Charcot foot. A year later, Mike is back on the golf course with a new perspective on life.

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Grace Allwood

Grace's Story

From Cancer Patient to Team Member

When Grace was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2021, she felt her whole world stopped. Today, she works at Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care and is now a part of the team that she credits with saving her life.

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Mariko Takagi

Mariko's Story

Surviving a Brain Aneurysm

One day, Mariko Takagi experienced a terrible headache, which prompted her to visit Valley's Emergency Department where she was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.

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Adrienne Landis

Adrienne's Story

Surviving a Stroke

After suddenly experiencing issues with her speech and facial drooping, Adrienne Landis was brought to Valley where she was diagnosed with a stroke.

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Scott's Story

Scott's Story

Thankful for Palliative Care

After suffering from recurring urinary tract infections for six months, Scott Ryerson visited Valley's Emergency Department, where imaging confirmed a diagnosis of stage four colon cancer.

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Luis' Story

Luis' Story

Surviving Stroke

After fainting in his home while getting ready for work, Luis was taken to The Valley Hospital, where he was told he had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke due to a burst aneurysm in his brain.

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lada

Lada's Story

Novel Technology to Continue an Active Life

Lada St. Edmund has lived an extraordinary, active life. But in November 2019, her active lifestyle was put on pause when she woke up unable to speak and was taken to The Valley Hospital.

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Roy Gunnels

Roy's Story

An Aortic Aneurysm

After suffering a stroke while on a job site, Roy was taken to The Valley Hospital to identify the underlying cause of his stroke. It was then that he was diagnosed with a thoracic aortic aneurysm and taken into emergency cardiac surgery.

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Jennifer's Story

Jennifer's Story

The Right Place at The Right Time

After her vision blurred and her left side became immobile during a spin class, the last thing that 30-year-old Jennifer expected to hear once she got to The Valley Hospital was that she was having a stroke.

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James Shammas

James' Story

A Trip of a Lifetime Made Possible

Severely arthritic knees seemed to make Dr. James Shammas' dream of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro impossible. That is, until he decided to get bilateral knee replacements at Valley.

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Elizabeth Vevenzio

Elizabeth's Story

A Relaxing MRI Experience

For Elizabeth Vivenzio, getting a diagnostic MRI was always an apprehensive experience due to her claustrophobia – that is, until she experienced Valley’s 3T MRI Sentient Suite.

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woman sitting on bench outside

Shari's Story

An Accident Uncovers an Undetected Condition

After accidentally falling down the stairs, Shari was taken to The Valley Hospital Emergency Department. Upon examination, a brain meningioma the size of a golf ball was discovered, a condition Shari was unaware of.

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little girl with red hair

Delaney's Story

A Celebration of Two Birthdays

On her 10th birthday, Delaney didn’t expect to end up at The Valley Hospital—or to have a stroke. But as her mom would later say, it was the best place for them to end up.

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Natalia's Story

Natalia's Story

A Unique Hobby and a Unique Surgery

Being a competitive rock climber is no easy task. It takes a lot of training and hard work. For Natalia Leaf, she didn’t want anything to slow her down, including her pectus excavatum.

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Kenley's Story

Kenley's Story

Living With Spastic Cerebral Palsy

Kenley and her family found the perfect balance of advanced clinical care and warm, personal attention at Valley’s Center for Pediatric Spasticity, where specialists have helped Kenley through every stage of her journey. 

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man with sunglasses outside

Tom's Story

Valley's "Biggest Fan"

After breaking his femur and undergoing emergency surgery, Tom opted to heal at home. He regained his mobility and strength, thanks to Valley Home Care’s tailored approach to his care.

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James Freehill

James' Story

Revealing an Unexpected Diagnosis

When two bouts of eosinophilic pneumonia left James with cardiovascular complications, Valley’s heart team worked together to restore blood flow through his heart with the MitraClip device.

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lilian

Lilian's Story

Healing at Home

When Lilian needed IV antibiotic therapy to treat an infection in her leg, she chose Valley Home Care to receive skilled care in the comfort of her own home.

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chris sitting on stairs

Chris' Story

Time to Take Action

Chris Lengers considered surgery for his pectus excavatum for many years. In 2020, he finally made the decision and headed to Valley, where he received the Nuss procedure performed by Dr. LoSasso.

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albert

Albert's Story

Treating Cardiogenic Shock

What started as a mild cough ended in life-saving intervention from Valley's cardiology, interventional cardiology, and heart failure teams, whose collaborative efforts got Albert back to his favorite activities. 

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Kessoon's

Kessoon's Story

Facing Leukemia

Kessoon advocated for herself and got a second opinion at Valley, where she began treatment and overcame acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

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ralph

Ralph's Story

The Road Back to Health

The long drive to Valley’s neurological ICU proved worthwhile for Ralph, who received top-notch care for a spontaneous subdural hematoma.

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brian

Brian's Story

Regaining Strength After Spine Surgery

After a feeling of tingling in his left arm, Brian sought out treatment at Valley, where he underwent spine surgery and got back to enjoying activities.

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Christine's Story

Christine's Story

A Life in Motion

For 15 years, Christine Pietroburgo struggled with losing weight. As her 30s came to a close, she knew it was time to reclaim her life, starting with weight-loss surgery.

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Izabela

Izabela's Story

Celebrating the End of Treatment

After being diagnosed with breast cancer and being treated at Valley, Izabela wanted to do something to give back and created a way for patients to celebrate treatment milestones.

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Shirley's Story

Shirley's Story

Reclaiming Confidence

Issues with her weight caused Shirley Fischer to become insecure and lose her confidence, but thanks to the support of Valley's bariatric surgery team, she's happier and healthier than ever before.

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Harry's

Harry's Story

Joint Replacement x2

After living in constant pain, Harry turned to the surgeons at Valley for not just one, but both of his life-changing hip replacements.

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Greg's Story

Greg's Story

Cancer Care Around the Corner

In 2018, Greg came to Valley where he was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Having had a great experience with The Valley Hospital in the past, Greg knew he was in the right place for his care.

Read His Story

Donna and Bill Gundlach's Story

Donna and Bill Gundlach's Story

Losing Weight Together

Donna and Bill Gundlach have always enjoyed doing things as a couple - even having bariatric surgery. With a total weight loss of 135 pounds, they're now living healthier, happier lives.

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Deirdre's

Deirdre's Story

Overcoming Fertility Challenges

After several unsuccessful years of trying to have a baby, Deirdre felt defeated. With the help of her doctors, she finally got her wish.

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verona

The Verona Family's Story

A Family Affair

Losing weight and staying healthy is a family affair for Albert, Kenneth and Jose Verona, all of whom have undergone weight-loss surgery at Valley.

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