We’re not just your hospital for life – we’re your partner for life. No matter what brings you to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, we’re here for you every step of the way.
Whether it’s a tiny baby fighting through the NICU for four months or a stroke patient regaining the ability to talk, our patients are at the heart of who we are, and their story is part of our story.
Patient Success Stories
Hear from patients whose lives have been transformed by our exceptional care and dedication.
Your Partner for Timing
For Jeff Keel, timing has always mattered. As a former professional musician, he was focused on keeping the right beat. Today, as a dog trainer, he teaches animals the value of a steady, focused response. But Jeff never expected that his own life would one day depend on a series of moments falling perfectly into place – leading him to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) at the exact time he needed lifesaving care.
Jeff Keel, Pinetta
Jeff unexpectedly needed to come to Tallahassee for work in July 2025 – a full hour away from his home in Pinetta – when he had a massive heart attack, coding nearly 20 times. To save him, doctors at TMH deployed dual Impella heart pumps – an advanced intervention for the most critical cases. Despite needing repeated resuscitation, Jeff defied the odds. He woke up with no permanent organ damage, returning home in just 11 days and hitting the golf course a month later.
Today, Jeff is back to training dogs and enjoying life with his wife, Shannon, in northern Madison County.
At TMH, we’re here for you when every second counts. We’re proud to be your partner for timing and your partner for life.
Your Partner for Strength
Kelly will never take the ability to speak for granted again after losing it to a sudden stroke at age 34. Hear her story of how she worked hard to regain the ability to talk following advanced stroke care and rehabilitation at TMH.
Kelly Smith, Tallahassee
When Kelly suddenly lost her ability to speak during a friend’s funeral, she had no idea she was experiencing a stroke. As her symptoms worsened, fear set in — a young mother unable to talk, unable to move her arm and unable to explain what was happening. At Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, our stroke team acted the moment she arrived, identifying a blood clot and administering a life-saving treatment to restore blood flow to her brain. In the months that followed, Kelly worked with speech, physical and occupational therapists who helped her begin to find her voice again. She watched her progress in small, meaningful steps — every word, every movement, every moment of strength returning.
Today, Kelly is back to caring for her patients, raising her boys and accomplishing things she once believed were out of reach. Her recovery is a reminder that even in our most vulnerable moments, strength can be rebuilt with expert care and unwavering support.
Learn more about symptoms and stroke care at the region’s only Advanced Primary Stroke Center.
Your Partner for [Independence]
After dealing with tremors for years, a breakthrough innovation in neurosurgery has changed Camilla’s life. Learn how Deep Brain Stimulation let Camilla regain her independence.
Camilla Augustine, Tallahassee
For most of her life, Camilla lived with a tremor so subtle she barely noticed it -- until it grew strong enough to disrupt the everyday tasks she loved. Signing her name became difficult, hobbies like sewing and painting slipped away and even lifting a glass without spilling felt impossible. After years of trying medications without lasting relief, she turned to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, where she learned that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) could help restore the steadiness she’d been losing. Under the care of Matthew Davis, MD, and our Movement Disorders team, Camilla underwent DBS surgery and saw an immediate change as her tremor eased and her confidence began to return.
Since then, she has reclaimed the independence she feared was gone — rediscovering her creativity, reengaging in social moments and embracing the activities that bring her joy. For Camilla, the ability to use her hands again has opened the door to an entirely new chapter of life.
Could DBS be for you? When medication for Essential Tremor, Parkinson’s or Huntington’s disease and other movement disorders is no longer effective, DBS could be an option. Learn more about movement disorders treatment at TMH.
Your Partner for [Faith]
The last thing Troy Fisher remembers is a terrible stomachache. Two weeks later, he woke up in Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s intensive care unit.
Troy Fisher, Crawfordville
In the days he couldn’t remember, Troy went into diabetic ketoacidosis — a life-threatening emergency. He became critically ill, aspirating vomit into his lungs and going into cardiac arrest. At TMH, teams worked relentlessly to bring him back, ultimately placing him on ECMO – advanced life support that gave his heart and lungs time to heal.
When Troy finally woke up, he was weak and disoriented. Sitting beside him was his wife, nine months pregnant, praying for his recovery and for the child they were about to welcome into the world.
As Troy slowly regained strength at TMH, his faith deepened. He believes God carried him through his darkest moments, working through the doctors, nurses and caregivers at TMH who never gave up on him. Because of their dedication and the life support of the ECMO machine, Troy was able to witness the birth of his daughter while still a patient – a moment he once feared he would never see.
Today, Troy is home, recovering and filled with gratitude. For him, faith is more than belief. It’s the reason he’s still here.
At TMH, we are proud to be your partner for faith and your partner for life. Learn more about TMH’s emergency services and what sets us apart.
Your Partner for [Miracles]
When Sheyla gave birth at just 25 weeks of gestation, Cooper’s first home wasn’t a nursery — it was our Level III NICU.
Sheyla and Cooper Ferguson, Marianna
For 103 days, his tiny body fought through infections, breathing issues and many unknowns. Sheyla read to him, sang to him, and told him every day, “There are so many people who can’t wait to meet you.”
At Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, our doctors and nurses became part of your family. With Sheyla, we celebrated every breath, every beat, every milestone — until the day Cooper finally got to go home. Today, he is a healthy middle schooler who loves sports and weightlifting with his older brother. Cooper is living proof that miracles happen here.
At TMH, every patient’s story becomes part of our own. And every family that walks through our doors reminds us why we do what we do. We are your partner for miracles and your partner for life. Learn more about the region’s only Level III NICU and our high-risk labor and delivery unit.
Serving Communities Across the Big Bend
Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare is the region's leading network of health care providers, delivering the full continuum of primary, acute and advanced care services.
Cardiology
Comprehensive heart care from prevention to advanced treatments, with state-of-the-art diagnostic technology.
Comprehensive, Award-Winning Care
Local mission, national recognition. Tallahassee and the Big Bend have access to the highest level of care at TMH. We’re recognized as a leading hospital by US News & World Report and have gone the extra mile to receive dozens of accreditations for quality, safety and patient care.
The Patients Who Inspire Us
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Kristal Beharry
A busy Tallahassee attorney, Kristal could have easily ignored the pain she felt. She stayed persistent, however, visiting her gynecologist and later the Emergency Room, where scans showed something abnormal. Her world was brought to a halt when she ultimately received an endometrial cancer diagnosis after undergoing a biopsy in her 30s.
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Cyndi's Journey
On a Sunday night in June 2019, Cyndi was getting ready for bed when she felt something unusual – what seemed like a small bead near the bottom of her left breast.
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Lindsey Albury
Lindsey Albury had always been vigilant about her family’s history of breast cancer. Her mother was diagnosed at just 40, so Lindsey began annual mammograms at age 24. Each clear scan brought a sigh of relief — until October 2024, when everything changed.
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Owen Horton
Earlier that night, Malinda’s son Owen, then a student at Chiles High School, had pulled out of the driveway to meet up with a friend just down the road. After driving only about a mile, something broke on Owen’s pickup truck, sending it flying off the road into a canopy of trees.
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Baby Jack Fights His Way Through the NICU
During her second trimester, Christie Homola was planning her "babymoon" to New York City with her husband, Jaeson. However, after a routine checkup at TMH Physician Partners - Maternal-Fetal Medicine at 23 weeks into her pregnancy, everything changed for Christie and Jaeson.
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Kelly Graham
In 2009, Kelly Graham was wanting to have a third child, but at 321 pounds, she was facing difficulty conceiving. Kelly turned to a popular weight loss procedure– the gastric band or ‘lap band,’ which is an adjustable band inserted at the top of the stomach to reduce the amount of food a person can eat before they feel full. Following surgery, she lost just 66 pounds, weighing 255 at her lightest with the band.
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Jack Smith
As a native North Floridian, Howell "Jack" Smith always enjoyed nature and being outside. For 28 years, he was a Physician Assistant (PA) for the United States Army and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Jack had a passion for activity—he often spent his days biking, sailing or skiing with his friends before medically retiring.
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Andrew Reed
Andrew Reed always loved working. The Quincy, Fla., native spent his entire career with the Florida Department of Corrections, rising to the rank of captain at Apalachee Correctional in nearby Sneads, Fla. So, when Andrew retired from his job, he expected to work around the house while spending more time with his wife, Cynthia, his three children and seven grandchildren.
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Denise Juliao
Nearly every woman, who’s ever stood in the shower or in front of a bathroom mirror to conduct a self-breast exam, has had the same thought, “What if I find a lump?” Denise Juliao, a young Tallahassee wife and mother, had this experience while visiting with family over Christmas break in 2022.
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Mathew Dominguez
For most travelers, the itinerary rarely includes plans for a medical emergency. However, for a cyclist from Suffolk, Virginia, a visit to Tallahassee is one he will never forget after a life-threatening illness left him in the hands of Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH).
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Richard Otway
When Richard and Heidi Otway became empty-nesters, they began traveling more and starting new hobbies. Their new lifestyle was briefly placed on hold when Richard received a diagnosis no one is prepared for.
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Tim Taylor
In February of 2023, 54-year-old Tim Taylor set a personal record for his “clean and jerk” in weightlifting during a Thursday evening class at CrossFit Convergence. With his wife Jennie as his coach, the athlete was thrilled about hitting this “PR.”
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Mason Mitchell
For some women, the second trimester of pregnancy is the “easy” one – the tiredness has dissipated, morning sickness lessened, and they can still move around with ease. But for Akliyah Mitchell, something felt off at 24 weeks into her pregnancy.
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Frank Hranicky
Even though Frank Hranicky retired in 2008 from a 36-year career in broadcast journalism, you wouldn’t know it. More active than many 75-year-olds, the former WCTV news anchor certainly knows how to stay busy.
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Jean Padgett
TMH helps Perry woman recover from ‘broken heart’ after Hurricane Idalia
Hurricane Idalia will be one of thos...
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Brittany Burns
Stuck. Overwhelmed. Unhappy. That’s how Brittany Burns felt five years ago. She was 24 years old, a single mother of two, working 40 hours a week at a fast...
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Pam Pennington
In December 2022, Jacksonville resident Pam Pennington and her husband, Doug, were visiting Tallahassee to celebrate their son's 40th birthday. However, the weekend took a very scary turn that left the family with a lot more to celebrate thanks to first responders and the heart and vascular team at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH).
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Maria Romero
When Maria Romero experienced vaginal bleeding after she had been through menopause, she immediately knew something wasn’t right.
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Alice Amendola
When Alice Amendola, sophomore tennis star at Florida State University, suddenly found herself with chest pain, blurred vision and difficulty breathing earlier this year, she sought answers from the team at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH).
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Cassie Lewis
Cassie was born at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH) with a bicuspid aortic valve; an integral piece of her heart meant to have three leaflets had only two.
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Debbi Taylor
When Debbi Taylor’s pulmonologist noticed a spot in her lungs from a CT scan, she wasn’t convinced that it was cancer just yet, but wanted to get a second look at a follow-up appointment.
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Beth Culley
Fitness instructor at Premier Health & Fitness Center isn’t just a title for Beth Culley; it means she gets to do what she loves.
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Addison Bethea
With grit and determination, along with the help of a multidisciplinary care team at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), Addison Bethea, 17, is thriving as she continues to recover following a vicious shark attack over the summer.
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Lucile Palmer
If it weren’t for two recent hip replacements at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), there’s a good chance Lucile Palmer, 70, wouldn’t have danced with her son at his wedding in early October.
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TMH Helped FSU Athlete Find Diagnosis When No One Else Could
When an EKG came back abnormal before the 2020 basketball season, it ultimately led FSU Basketball's Tiana England to a physical therapist at TMH, who helped her find a diagnosis for symptoms she'd been fighting her entire life.
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Meet One of Our NICU Babies
Meet baby girl Blair! Baby Blair was born on December 5, 2021, at 24 weeks and 4 days.
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Bill Denington
When Bill Denington was preparing for total knee replacement surgery in early 2021 with Peter Loeb, MD, orthopedic surgeon at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), he told Dr. Loeb he had two goals...
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Sarah Kelly
It’s June 25, 2021. Sarah Kelly uploads a handful of photos to her Facebook page, writes a few heartfelt sentences, and hits “post.” The photos form a collage on her Facebook page and tell the story of her past few years.
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Stacy Skinner
Stacy Skinner is a lifelong educator, world traveler and, as of 2019, a breast cancer survivor.
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Daniela Archila
Twenty-two-year-old Daniela Archila is many things – a student, a daughter, a sister, a friend. On November 2, 2018, she added another title to that list, one that she never could have anticipated – survivor.
Be Part of the Story: Join Our Team
Your partner for life is more than a promise. It’s a relationship built through trust and providing excellent care consistently. Each patient’s story helps us push forward with purpose. Join a team that celebrates the bond between patients and care teams.
