Our Stories

Despite a pacemaker and defibrillator placed to manage his erratic heartbeat, Greg Soumokil's health was declining. His only option was a heart transplant. But a rare blood type and his height made finding a match difficult. The short-term solution: a Total Artificial Heart that's keeping his heart pumping while he awaits a transplant. 

With the help of nursing assistant certified caregivers and thanks to philanthropic gifts, frail and elderly residents of Stevens and nearby counties receive the support they need to remain in their homes.

A new robot at Providence Spokane Neuroscience Institute is enhancing the accuracy and recovery of spine surgery for patients like Susan Steadman.

After a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which produces symptoms similar to stroke, Fred Fleming underwent TCAR (transcarotid artery revascularization) procedures to improve blood flow in both carotid arteries. Now, he says, he has a "new lease on life." 

Dawn Gregg is a relentless and passionate advocate for ill and injured children being cared for at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital. Dawn and her husband, Bruce, own three of the 38 Inland Northwest Ace Stores. In 2021 these stores, as part of their partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, raised $462,214 for Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, ranking eighth in the nation. 

It was exactly 1:29 am, the Sunday after Thanksgiving 2012, when Marcie Healey woke to the sound of her cellphone ringing. She missed the first call, then a second. “When it rang a third time, my heart just stopped,” she recalls. 

Providence hospitals and caregivers play a role in some of the most crucial experiences in a person’s life. Hear from three patients who were inspired to give back because of the exceptional care they received from Providence.

Providence oncology specialists helped Amy beat cancer. “Because you’re in the fight of your life, you form a different bond with your oncologist than you may with your general doctor,” says Amy. “Dr. Bergman has a genuine care for keeping people free of this disease.

Needles, IVs, scary machines and the great unknown of medical procedures. Thinking about any of these is enough to upset many kids. For a child who has had a bad experience and yet needs regular treatment, going to the hospital can be downright traumatic.

If you feel more anxious and stressed than usual, you’re not alone. A new digital mental health resource is helping Providence caregivers offer assistance more quickly to patients needing help.

Shortly after his 50th birthday, Brian Starr contracted a virus that would change his life forever. “I ended up with a virus in my heart, and had an autoimmune response to it,” says Brian. “Basically, my immune system attempted to reject my own heart."

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.

While many people are not comfortable with the subject of death or the process of dying, Don Craton and 36 other volunteers with the No One Dies Alone program consider it an honor to be with people when they pass away.

“A heart condition? That could never happen to me.” It was a natural reaction. After all, Spokane attorney Rob Crick was active and fit. An avid skier, weight lifter and cyclist, he was the picture of health.

Most of us don’t think twice about hopping into our car for a quick trip to visit the grocery store or coffee shop, or a meeting with family and friends.

Every Thursday morning at the crack of dawn, Ava and her father, Nathan, make the drive from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to the Pediatric Hematology Oncology and Infusion Clinic at Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital.

RISE—which stands for resources, insight, support and empowerment—reduces the need for hospitalization and helps individuals battling depression and anxiety thrive in the community.

Rachel’s baby girl was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition associated with underdeveloped left heart structures. “The most comforting part was they knew what it looked like,” Rachel says. “They told us about the surgeries she’d need and that they’d follow her for her whole life. They had a plan.”