SANFORD, Fla. – On Wednesday, the staff at HCA Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford invited former patients back to reunite with the people who saved their lives when they needed it most.
Bryan Novak said he woke up in the hospital’s trauma center in November 2023 after a car crash.
“Completely cracked every part of my skull. There’s several plates in my head. I had a tree collapse along feeding tube. Broken ribs that have a plate in, which I didn’t know of until, like, three months later. But, yeah, it was pretty extensive. I was in a coma for a week,” Novak said.
Others shared similar stories. Bryan Ford doesn’t remember being hit by a car while he rode his bike on Airport Blvd three years ago. But he remembers the care he got at the trauma center.
“My neck was fused on a ventilator, but they took care of me. The folks took me outside, got me walking, eating, and were really just tremendous for that month,” Ford said.
All of the survivors who returned to the hospital today shared one message.
“Thank you, thank you,” they said, one after another.
The hospital unveiled a new garden in honor of both the survivors and the teams of people who stood by them as they recovered.
Dr. Peter Pappas, trauma medical director at HCA Lake Monroe Hospital, explained the symbolism behind the garden.
“Hope springs eternal. Flowers, green life. That’s what the garden is about. That’s what any idea of a garden is about. So it’s a powerful symbol for us. We want it to be that symbol of hope and life for everyone that we touch.”
For the medical professionals, this event offers a rare opportunity to see the lives they saved.
“It’s why we do what we do,” said Pappas. “This is a calling. It’s more than just a career or a profession for us.”
The event also serves as a chance to help heal former patients one last time.
“Just being back here with everybody, being able to thank everybody. Seeing other trauma survivors. It was good to be with other people who have shared a similar experience,” said Novak
“It helps put a bow on things and see every aspect through. Because there are a lot of challenges. So it’s good to have good memories and good faces to put to this,” said Ford.
The feeling of closure the survivors felt today was no accident.
“It’s one of the most important components of Trauma Survivor Day,” said Pappas. “To give that sense of closure, but also that sense of victory. The sense of ability to conquer what they’ve been through. To come here and embrace those who helped them and also be embraced by them. We’re really all here to help one another.”
Pappas said his trauma center serve thousands and thousands of patients, and that days like today make it all worth it.
“Five counties in total, over 30 EMS agencies, that we support,” said Pappas. “And we’re here for really a critical area within the east Central Florida community, a place that truly needed a trauma center. We’re happy to be here. We’re proud to be here.”