Bedside Stories

When Janice Cmeyla sought help for difficulty breathing, she had no idea that would involve a “three-armed surgeon” – or that major breakthroughs in new technology would save her months of treatment and recovery.

A hospice music therapist and a 37-year-old Phoenix woman with terminal cancer spent four months creating deeply personal music, as a legacy for the patient to leave her family. One of the powerful songs features her heartbeat as a rhythmic part of the track.

Deanna Spizzirri’s diagnosis with one of the most severe cases of Tourette’s syndrome didn’t stop her from becoming an elementary school teacher, and helping other patients learn to manage their tics and enjoy life. She shares her highs and lows with us, and we speak to a Banner doctor who has Tourette’s and treats patients with the disorder.

Patient Kim Alten’s annual mammogram led to an option to have genetic testing for cancer, which can help determine whether someone – and their family – has a higher risk of developing certain cancers, and passing some genetic disorders to their children. We spoke with Kim and our experts to learn more. 

(Episode was recorded in February 2020.)

Thirteen-year-old Ben Zaccardi took a ride around the block on his dirt bike that ended with him hurling into a cinder block wall, demolishing his body. But his story has a happy ending, as thousands of people have cheered on the upbeat boy through every milestone of his unexpected recovery.

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An interview with nurse Kaitlin Nicholas about her ongoing experience treating potential coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients at Banner Casa Grande Medical Center. She may be “beat up from the feet up” tired, but she and her dedicated colleagues remain fueled by positive energy and a passion for saving lives.

Ten-year-old Peyton Gonzalez is like any other kid her age, but she’s also literally one in a million -- a survivor of an extremely rare cancer that required a 10-hour surgery that was spellbinding in complexity and drama. The experience made Peyton wise beyond her years. (Happy birthday to her, by the way!)

As we wrap up our first season of inspiring and dramatic stories, we’re checking in on many of the memorable patients, medical staff and volunteers who shared their memorable experiences throughout the past year. Quite a bit has happened since we met them!

Hospital chaplains Timothy and Stephanie Burdick visit some of Banner Health’s most critical patients every Sunday. Sometimes, those patients don’t realize they’ve just held hands with two people who’ve learned to embrace life through a hardship of their own: Both Timothy and Stephanie have been blind since they were infants. 

Bernice Campbell has seen many family members impacted by Alzheimer’s disease, so now this 57-year-old grandmother is doing her part to help researchers and medical experts before we lose thousands more people in another generation. But some ethnic cultures remain skeptical about taking part in research, which presents a real issue in finding a cure. 

Patient Anita Allen had no idea how much of her life was about to change when a nice fellow named Sam appeared in the doorway of her treatment room. That set in motion another major moment intertwining the lives of the two widowers with the hospital in ways neither could have expected. 

Sixty-year-old John Waddell shares his experience of being trapped alone for more than 48 hours in a dark mine-shaft in the Arizona desert, 100 feet down, surrounded by rattlesnakes.

Just when you think you’ve heard it all, 72-year-old nurse Betty Schley comes along to share some wild and unexpected stories from her lifelong career in healthcare.

Meet a real-life superhero: Selima Martin, a 23-year-old who transports young patients for treatment at Banner Children's at Cardon Children’s Medical Center. Selima has a developmental disorder called Asperger syndrome, and more importantly, she has a secret identity that is helping kids feel better. Learn more in this short podcast story.

A 34-year-old woman speaks candidly about an experience as deeply personal as it gets: the time she died. On Valentine’s Day this year, she and her infant daughter survived an experience that’s hard to even imagine. Darcy had a heart attack while giving birth, and she’s here with her healthy family to tell the story.

Decades ago, Reverend Ibraham (John) Sabbagh helped save his son Ebby’s life when he was shot as a youth during the Lebanese Civil War. Now, Ebby is repaying his 88-year-old dad by donating his own stem cells for a special transplant to fight leukemia. That’s not the only heartwarming part of this story that will give you the chills.