A Year of Recovery, A Lifetime of Gratitude

A lot can happen in a year. For Palm City, Florida resident David Hardin, much of 2024 has been dedicated to recovering from a stroke.

Last December the semi-retired attorney was enjoying a game of pickleball with three friends at the courts in Harbour Ridge, the community where he lives. A bout of dizziness while bending to pick up a ball had him assisted off the court. After one look at David, the pickleball pro realized emergency help was needed.

“I don’t remember much of the ambulance ride and ER, and only a little of the three days I spent in the intensive care unit,” says David, who was transported to Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital in Port St. Lucie. “But I do know the neurology team at Tradition saved my life.”

The Road to Recovery

After 10 days at Tradition Hospital, where David was treated for a hemorrhagic stroke caused by a ruptured cerebral blood vessel, he spent about a month of inpatient rehabilitation receiving physical, occupational and speech therapy.

“My cognitive function returned right away while I was still in the hospital, so I was extremely fortunate,” recalls David. “But I had physical deficits on my right side that made simple tasks very difficult.”

After an additional three months of outpatient rehabilitation and continued work on his own, David has regained more than 80% of function in his right hand, arm and leg. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he says of his recovery.

David Hardin with his family.

With Deep Gratitude

Looking back on the past year, David says, “I’m so grateful for all the support and care I received from my family and friends.”

He is especially thankful for his neurologist, Marc Alain Babi, MD, adding, “Dr. Babi took care of me in the ICU. He was amazing, a real miracle worker!”

Dr. Babi is Chief of Neurocritical Care for Cleveland Clinic in Florida, a five-hospital regional health system. He also serves as Medical Director of Neurology at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health and Program Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital.

Tradition Hospital is the first hospital on Florida’s Treasure Coast to obtain comprehensive stroke center certification. The achievement was garnered in 2023 and affirms that the hospital has met the highest level of competence to address the full spectrum of stroke care.

With a deep sense of gratitude for the care he personally received and the quality of care Cleveland Clinic brings to the community, David and his wife Laura recently made a gift to support the hospital’s stroke program and emergency department.

With their gift, the Hardins became members of the Barstow-Reed Society at Cleveland Clinic Martin Health, becoming a second generation to earn the distinction. David’s late father, William Hardin, also was a proud supporter of Martin Health for many years.

Part of the couple’s pledged gift will support the Emergency Department Fast Track program at Tradition Hospital, which will add a six-bay unit for patients needing lower acuity care. This will increase access, allow patients to move in and out more quickly, and enhance the patient experience.

“This is our way to say thank you to all the caregivers at Cleveland Clinic who helped care for me and to support the continued improvement of healthcare services in Martin and St. Lucie counties,” David adds.