Trusting Her Instincts and Caregivers

When Charlene Crump woke up one morning and didn’t feel well, her instincts told her to call 9-1-1. At first she felt like she had a cold, but something wasn't right. She knew she needed help immediately.

“I actually called the ambulance on myself and I do not remember the call or the paramedics arriving,” says Charlene. “One day I was well; and the next day I was actually dying.”

Charlene was rushed to Cleveland Clinic’s Emergency Department where the situation quickly became a matter of life and death. After running tests and scans, doctors realized Charlene had an aortic dissection.

Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeon Eric Roselli, MD was in the Emergency Department that day performing a consult on another patient. “He saw me in distress and he dropped everything and told them to get the OR ready,” Charlene says.

Charlene underwent emergency surgery to repair the aortic dissection. “Dr. Roselli is an aortic specialist. Having that expertise he knew right away what to do.”

“Cleveland Clinic will always have a special place for me within my heart. If I had not went to the Cleveland Clinic that day that I would not be alive.”

Charlene began recovery in Cleveland Clinic’s Intensive Care and Step-down Units and regained her mobility and strength with the help of Cleveland Clinic Cardiac Rehabilitation. “Everyone that I came in contact with was so professional. I was so sick and they healed me back to myself. My family is just so just so happy that I came to the Cleveland Clinic.”

“Cleveland Clinic from all their years of doing heart surgery is the place to go. They specialize in the heart. They’re number one in the country and because of their training, because of their research, because of everything that they do; they take such pride in saving patients.”

Charlene knows how very fortunate she was to make a full recovery.

“Cleveland Clinic will always have a special place for me within my heart. If I had not went to the Cleveland Clinic that day that I would not be alive. They brought me back from a situation that most people don’t come back from. I will be forever grateful.”