Posted On: April 10, 2025
It was Freda Jemison’s faith that helped her persevere in the wake of her insurance declining her procedure.
She was faced with a difficult decision about other options to address the diagnosis of bicuspid aortic stenosis. The requested TAVR procedure would require minimal recovery time and get her back to taking care of her special needs son sooner versus the open-heart surgery option.
Dr. John Galla of Cardiology Associates, Dr. Lewis Wilson of Springhill Physician Practices – Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Springhill Medical Center, Medtronic, and Blue Lake Anesthesia got together to provide the surgical and anesthesia services, catheterization lab team resources, device, and post-op recovery care she needed for the TAVR procedure.
“Getting all parties involved to do what was right for the patient is what happened for Mrs. Jemison,” said Dr. Galla. “This was an amazing effort to pool resources for a mother who is the sole provider for her special needs son.”
While pro bono cases aren’t unusual in the medical community, this case involved multiple resources provided by several organizations to help someone in addition to the patient – someone whose livelihood is completely dependent on the patient’s full recovery.
Mrs. Jemison credits her Christian faith and God for putting all of the kind, generous, and highly skilled professionals in her life to help her through a difficult time. From the recovery room she continued to express her sincere gratitude to all of those involved who provided this gift for her.