How WMCHealth patients have found a zest for life after incredible life-changing treatments
A diagnosis of a health condition can be scary. It can cause you to feel overwhelmed with questions and frightened about the uncertainties and unknown outcomes. It can feel as if life as you know it could be over. But WMCHealth’s commitment to innovative and cutting-edge treatment means that in many cases, surgery not only helps treat the condition, but it can also provide the opportunity for our patients to say “yes” to the things they never thought possible. Here are just five of their stories.
The Trip of a Lifetime
Wendy McCarthy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disease. Initially, McCarthy was able to control her symptoms with medication. But as her Parkinson’s progressed, higher doses of medication were needed to control her symptoms, and the higher doses had disruptive side effects.
McCarthy’s circumstance led the neurology team at WMCHealth to consider alternative and innovative options and believed that McCarthy would be a good candidate for a new technology called Deep Brain Simulation (DBS).
DBS is where a surgeon implants electrodes into the specific regions of the brain the Parkinson’s disease attacks. A pacemaker-like device is then placed under the skin near the collarbone to power the electrodes and help reduce symptoms.
“I noticed a difference immediately,” says McCarthy.
This innovative therapy helped control McCarthy’s symptoms and allowed her to visit her daughter—in Greece. The amazing trip was one she hadn’t thought was possible when she was diagnosed, and it became a life highlight she won’t soon forget.
A New Perspective
For some, procedures don’t just allow for a fuller life, they can give us a new understanding and perspective we never had before. This was the case for Barbara Grace, RN, who worked in the orthopedic unit at WMCHealth’s MidHudson Regional Hospital for 30 years.

Upon retiring, Grace decided to stay close and began volunteering within the same unit she previously worked. She loved connecting with patients and staying in touch with the staff, but Grace gained a new perspective when she discovered she needed both of her hips replaced.
Grace underwent two robot-assisted hip replacements. WMCHealth’s commitment to innovative technology led Grace to a successful rehabilitation and recovery process. Grace knew from her years of experience what this process looked like, but now she understood it from the patient’s side.
These days, Grace is back as a volunteer in the patient advocate’s office, and she has a deeper appreciation for all those within the hospital system in a new way. She also fully understands what patients feel through their surgery and recovery process. Grace is determined to pay it forward. “[I want to] ensure that every visitor receives the same excellent care I was fortunate to receive,” she says.
A Better Path to the Finish Line
A serious diagnosis can be a wake-up call and motivate people to get treatment and pursue fuller and healthier lives. Tinesha Schell proved this when she learned she had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a thickening of the heart muscle that obstructs blood flow. Schell’s father had suffered from the same condition and experienced an invasive procedure. She knew she had to seek expert treatment in order to maintain her quality of life.

The experts on the team within WMCHealth’s Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy program helped deliver just that. They helped Schell make simple changes in medication, diet and exercise, which enabled her to lose 30 pounds and avoid an invasive procedure.
Prior to her diagnosis, Schell would lag on hikes and struggled with her breathing and stamina. But these days? The stairs are no longer a struggle, and her exercise routine has taken on a life of its own. “Now I run 25 miles a week!” she says.
Schell isn’t just living; she’s thriving. She showed off her newfound strength and determination last spring when she completed the Kingston Kiwanis Classic 5K.
A Return to an Adventurous Life
When Anamaria ended up in the emergency department for a grand mal seizure, she never thought she would be diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor was a slow growing glioma seated deep in her left temporal lobe.
In December 2019, Anamaria underwent a craniotomy, which removed about 90% of the original mass. Her neurosurgical oncology team at WMCHealth decided that an innovative, minimally invasive treatment known as laser ablation could halt the remaining tumors growth.
This method also shortens recovery times and reduces complications compared to other more invasive options. Anamaria was discharged the day after the procedure with no postoperative pain. “I walked out of the hospital … like a visitor who was there to see a patient, not someone who had just undergone brain surgery,” says Anamaria.
In the years since the ablation, Anamaria has not experienced any significant tumor growth, and life is back to its regularly scheduled programming. Anamaria is out there making the most of it, which has included taking a European hiking trip.
Sometimes, an illness or diagnosis can narrow our focus or highlight the possible negatives. But at WMCHealth, innovative treatments and surgical procedures mean that diagnoses are not the end of the line. They simply can mark the beginning of a whole new beautiful journey.
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