Rocky Buchanan’s Story

Rocky Buchanan standing with Dr. Sun and a neurosurgery resident, smiling during a clinic visit.

Earlier this year, Rocky Buchanan was in an 18-wheeler accident that left him with an unstable upper cervical spine fracture and spinal cord injury. He was airlifted to UHS and taken to the Neuro ICU, where our neurocritical care team helped stabilize him. Rocky’s lung function was extremely tenuous, which complicated his case, but Derrick Sun, MD, was able to perform a complex spinal surgery that stabilized his fractured vertebrae. Dr. Sun told us that Rocky’s status was precarious, but our team of physicians and nurses persisted, helped improve his lung function so he would undergo the complex surgery safely, and ultimately achieved a successful surgical outcome.

When Rocky and his family recently stopped by our clinic for a follow-up visit, we got a chance to talk to them about their experience with UHS. “There is a lot I would like to say to the staff that helped us,” he began. “The neurosurgeons and nurses worked very hard. I was in really bad shape when I came in, but I never saw them with a frown on their faces, which was reassuring to me. They saved my life.” Rocky was especially thankful to Dr. Sun for his patience and kindness. “We just love Dr. Sun; he made us feel at ease. There isn’t much I can say except: Thank you. You are amazing.

Article Categories: Patient Stories, Uncategorized