Capital.

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Hello and welcome to living in the Lehigh Valley, the recap show.

I'm Brittany Sweeney, and I'm Grover Silcox.

Our weekly segment focuses on health and wellness in the Valley, and now we're checking in on some of our most recently featured guests.

That's right.

Grover.

Over the last few months, we've met some really interesting people from all over the area with remarkable stories of how they overcame a health crisis or adversity.

That's right.

Brett.

I know we both enjoy sharing these stories, and today we get to check back in with some of the folks who we featured in those stories.

Absolutely.

In this first one's really cute.

Yes.

First up, veterans and first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other disabilities often face a long and difficult path.

However, that journey toward recovery has been made easier for many veterans and first responders with a canine companion by their side.

Let's take a look at a portion of our story.

When we first introduced you to Tales of Valor.

Paws of honor.

Let's go.

Meet Gavin, a frisky nine month old labradoodle.

One of the select canines chosen by the Tails of Valor Paws of Honor program to serve those who served their country.

Your service dog, helps you way more than you helped a service dog.

Gavin, come.

George Heimer, a U.S. Army that and retired E.M.S.

suffers with PTSD from an injury received in the military and from years as a first responder.

Tales of valor matched J with Gavin Waite.

They now train together at Tales of Valor Lehigh County Center to be able to go out in public, to be able to stand in a store with people behind you, which is very difficult for most veterans and even first responders, because you're always waiting for something to happen.

And the dog can take some of that stress away post that give away for my service dog.

He's being trained to help wake me up from nightmares, which is which is huge.

Good boy, good boy.

Two years ago, Jay nearly committed suicide.

But then he thought of his family and what it would do to them.

And that's one of the reasons that, Thank god Tales of Valor is here to provide service dogs to help.

Jay started counseling and later applied and was approved for a service dog from Tales of Valor.

It's helping me in public.

So Gavin will do what's called six.

So it's basically protecting your back.

Gavin six.

Six.

Cowboy.

And he'll stand between my legs and look behind me.

And Gavin nudges me.

Different dogs do it in different ways, and lets me know that there's somebody behind me.

Decker said, come.

Let's go.

Heather Lloyd, a former physician's assistant and EMS, founded Tales of Valor ten years ago to serve veterans like Jay Tails of an organization that provides rehabilitation with veterans with PTSD and TBI.

We expanded recently, after a decade of services for our veterans to first responders and police officers.

Sit, wait.

Goldendoodle.

Labradoodle poodles have been awesome for our program.

Not only are they intelligent on the poodles and then retrieving skills with a lab and a golden, but the mixture of the two create a dog that is able to learn faster and effectively with the resources that are provided through trainers.

Oh boy, that's so.

What a pleasure it was to watch our furry friends help those who need it most.

And now we have the pleasure of welcoming Heather Lloyd, Director and Founder of Tales of Valor, and Jeff Horkheimer and his service dog, Gavin.

Gavin's very excited to be here tonight.

He is.

It's come as promised.

That's the training.

So much for being here today.

Yeah, well, we did the story.

I believe, Jay, you and Gavin were still in training.

You hadn't graduated yet?

Yeah, that's correct.

Yeah.

When we met, we were still in training.

Had some time ago.

And since we've graduated.

Well, how long was the process?

How long did it take?

About a year and a half.

So it can go anywhere from a year and a half to more than two years.

Sometimes I think the depends on the veteran.

It depends on the dog.

Right.

And the tasks needed.

Yes.

And so how did Gavin do.

How did he fare.

He did the graduate.

So all the dogs have to pass a public access test that's, prescribed by the Ada.

And he passed with flying colors.

Does he go wherever you go?

He does.

not at work during the day, but.

But all other times he's with me.

Stores, restaurants.

he really helps me acclimate in public, instead of withdrawal.

Right.

Kind of part of the deal.

So, tales of valor, calls, the journey of a service dog and a veteran journey with a purpose.

Mine is just taking a little bit longer.

It just happens that way.

so throughout the program, you learn a lot about yourself and about raising a dog and how a dog can help you because they're just like us.

They make mistakes, too, right?

and during that time, it really kind of opens you up.

a lot of, the veterans and EMS first responders.

For myself, it was, a huge withdrawal from life.

And this is really helping to open.

Right.

Mostly from your years as an EMS.

That's correct.

Heather, I have to ask you, name some of the dog breeds.

Labradoodle comes to mind every time I think of a labradoodle.

I think of a high energy puppy.

But someone like Gavin, this this puppy, this dog is sleeping on our set right now with people he doesn't even know.

So what makes those types of breeds so perfect for this position?

And how do you really train them to harness that energy for good?

So their genetic makeup has really been the asset of bringing that, capability of service to Tails of Valor.

We've done rescue dogs in the past when we started now ten years ago.

But the labradoodle, I would just say personality really fits.

the hypoallergenic is very beneficial.

You know, when it comes to medical fields or medical needs and the, that energy that you were speaking about is all channeled very well.

And, all the training that we do.

So they start at an eight week period and work straight through.

So they're in school every day, just like our children would go to school.

They learn every day.

And then we integrate as we like to call them, the humans into the journey.

And, and then learn, they learn together what that journey is, what support like for the program.

This, this, you know, funds are needed to run something like this.

How support been and where do you get those funds?

Absolutely.

any nonprofit organization is always looking for outside support.

We have been 100% donor supported for the last ten years.

We've been very blessed with corporate support, people that parallel with the mission of also wanting to help our veterans and now expanded to law enforcement and first responders.

So you can, sign up as sponsorships for any of the events that we might have.

You could create an event yourself.

We actually have opportunities on our website that you can click on, on the website and say, I'm interested in having a fundraiser, and we walk you all through that, and we want to thank both of you, for joining us and sharing your story.

And some of them are very personal, and it really is inspiring.

And I think it's going to help an awful lot of people who are able to see it, from the comfort of their homes.

So thank you so much, Heather and Jay, for joining us today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank thanks for having.

Now our next story is one of tragedy turn to triumph for our next guest.

A car accident in her teenage years left this Carbon County woman wheelchair bound.

But despite the odds, she's proving that she's stronger than the trauma she endured.

Never thought she was going to survive ten years ago.

Ten years ago, Emily Bronx mother received a call that would change her family's lives forever.

It was a Sunday.

I'll never forget the phone call.

1111.

119.

2014.

There's been an accident.

Beth Wynter remembers every detail she was in with other girls.

They were on their way to softball practice.

They were over by Beltsville Lake and a car hit black ice.

And it hit the kids head on.

And there was.

And there was.

That accident left the 15 year old with a traumatic brain injury and wheelchair bound.

Emily was the only one with life altering injuries.

Emily, what do you think about physical therapy?

Oh, I love it.

We spent two months at Lehigh Valley Trauma, and then, fortunately, good Shepherd was able to offer her an acute rehab bed.

And she rehab that good shepherd for seven months following her injury.

The outlook was grim, but somehow the teenager found the strength to carry on.

Mom?

Yeah.

Hey.

Good job, good job.

Emily still obviously is a brain injured individual, though her brain injury has made her more intelligent than she was prior to injury.

That's my outlook on it all.

But she is wheelchair bound.

she walks with her therapist.

I don't stop.

Keep going.

Stop, stop.

However, her left side is paralyzed and she requires 24 over seven.

care.

You rock and roll and let's rock and roll.

A decade later, Brong is thriving.

Whatever part of her brain is affected, it affected something that has made her a very happy lucky.

And just a pleasant, pleasant person.

A lot of her progress her mother attributes to the work she does a good Shepherd rehabilitation, Highland Center for Health and Technology.

We offer a diverse offering of rehabilitation, but we also hyper focus on, some catastrophic rehabilitation, which particularly involves a spinal cord injury, stroke rehabilitation and traumatic and non traumatic brain injury.

Doctor Sandeep Singh is Good Shepherd's chief medical officer and senior vice president of medical affairs.

He says roughly 5% of their patients have a traumatic brain injury.

So there are a multitude of resources offered to those who are part of that group.

We try to incorporate where they're the necessities of deficit are and identified so that we can layer in technologies, whether that's a functional stimulation unit that helps, a patient take and pick up a glass.

So, you know, for the first time after their injury or help support their arm through mechanisms like a neuro move with the help of those resources, like the Zero-G technology, Rong and patients like her have progressed in their overall movements.

Good shift, right step.

Emily is able to basically, do a lot for herself independently, even though her left side is paralyzed.

Emily goes to speech.

and then there, whether she is reading books now, which she has not done in over ten years, she's comprehending things.

Her memory is improving.

Her speech is much clearer.

Through occupational therapy, she's able to make her own bed.

she can clean around teeth.

This is huge for somebody like Emily.

What a remarkable young woman.

And what a wonderful bond she has with her nurse.

She absolutely does.

We saw her nurse helping her walk in the peace.

And now we have the pleasure of welcoming the duo here in our studio.

Joining us now is Emily Brong and her home health care nurse, Tammy Sturgis.

Thank you ladies so much for joining us.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for being here.

So Emily, we saw in the piece you're really working on your walking.

How's that going for Emily, Tammy and Emily right now?

We realize that I get along at home, yet, and I'm, very well.

and maybe we're we're in the wrong.

Sure.

The biggest fear is falling, of course, but it looks like you're really working on getting there.

So.

Not at home yet, right?

But you're really working on it.

Tammy, how's her progress go?

we have taken off the summer months from therapy.

Emily wanted to go out and do some activities with some friends, go to concerts and things.

So we are doing her exercises diligently at home.

But in September, we will be going back to good Shepherd rehab and starting all over again.

Wonderful.

Does does Tammy put you to work at home on those exercises?

Yeah, really?

We have begun.

Wendy in the mailroom.

Ever.

I really realized, I don't know where we go in the baby when we get home.

That's right.

She doesn't realize if she says you're not doing them.

She says, why are we even going to therapy right now?

If she stays on you, that won't be in the in the ward.

Then do it.

Absolutely.

She always thank me after, she'll be like, oh, I have to work so hard.

But she's like, thank you for making me do it.

So yeah.

Wonderful.

Help her here.

And speaking of support, now, Tammy, I understand that, you and Emily both advocate for home health care workers and that you've been to Harrisburg and, you've really, you know, pushed to help their situation.

Yes.

this year, fortunately for us, which is great.

Emily got to speak with three legislators.

which is good.

She really enjoys telling them her story because it's coming from her.

It's not coming from me.

She speaks on her own behalf.

She's very social and she deserves to be in her home.

Right?

Not in a nursing home or an institution.

So.

Sure.

And that's not the end of your advocacy.

You have something coming up this fall.

The minor brain event we do this year are going to the Emily has attended several times, but they're going to allow her mother, herself and myself to speak for 15 minutes.

Emily, are you excited for that?

Yeah, I know everyone.

The very the main goal and the end of the oh, I know, I mean and then the weather.

That's right.

And you are quite the miracle.

Emily, Emily and Tammy, thank you both so much for joining us and sharing your story and showing us what a remarkable bond you have.

Thank you.

Thank you for having me.

Wow, what an amazing show of strength and courage.

Health care providers often go above and beyond for their patients.

But what happens when the doctor becomes the patient?

Wow.

Doctor Amy Miller knows what it takes to go the distance as a runner.

Mother of five.

Wife, family.

Physician, friend, colleague and person of faith.

We commit her into your hands in Jesus name.

Thank you.

It's good seeing, knowing you.

He exudes a joyful, boundless energy.

Yeah, the ability to go, go, go.

And lots of heart along the way.

But in March of 2023, while training for the Saint Luke's Half Marathon, something deadly got in her way and nearly stopped her in her tracks.

I was training for the Saint Luke's Half Marathon, which was April 26th, 2023.

I was in full force training, for the race, so I was scheduled to run ten miles that day.

Instead, I went into the hospital.

I felt fine.

I probably felt a little tired, a little slower, but I thought I was just getting older.

Okay.

She could explain away slowing down, but not the spontaneous bruising appearing on her body.

She got a blood test.

The results were abnormal.

So I go to the E.R.. You know, they saw my blood work, and they knew that I couldn't go home.

and they immediately consulted the cancer care team.

The diagnosis was acute myeloid leukemia.

So, a bone marrow cancer of the blood.

And what it immediately followed was starting here.

And the therapy.

We learned in the.

Amy's husband, Greg, also a physician, turned to family, friends and faith for support.

They believe God is good despite things happening that we don't understand.

I had, a pastor that basically encouraged me to take every day by day.

Don't go beyond that.

Do what you can that day.

And then I had a ton of support from my immediate family, friends, our church.

my workplace was unbelievable.

in helping me, Amy's workplace, you do find out how kind and gracious people are when you suffer.

If you allow them in.

And we found that to be true.

I will never forget that day.

She called and asked to speak to me directly.

I spoke to her on the phone.

I might tear up.

I'm sorry.

Today I'll never forget.

And she.

She was actually crying and telling me that she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.

She told me that we would need to reschedule her patients.

She was concerned about that.

I left my area, which is here in the back, and I went in Anne-Marie's office, closed the door and just burst into tears.

It's something you don't want to hear, but it's so sorry.

We were here to support her.

She's part of our family and we just took it from there.

Amy spent 21 days in the hospital at Lehigh Valley Health Network, where she received chemotherapy and blood transfusions.

As it happens, both Amy and Greg work for LVA.

N April 7th, which was good Friday of that year, was when I got released from the hospital.

I was thankful to be home.

The race is was scheduled April 26th, and so here I am at fresh out of the hospital with a cancer diagnosis and fresh out of chemo, and transfusion support.

I was like, there's no way I could run this race.

But she found a way that I felt lots of things were happening to me.

Right?

Like so the cancer cells were happening to me.

a blood infection happened to me.

transfusions were happening to me.

Chemotherapy was happening to me.

So what I really felt by running or by putting one foot in front of the other, that my body was actively and engaging and choosing to do something that didn't want it to do.

And that really helped carry me through to look and see what I could do instead of what I couldn't do.

What an amazing example she's setting for those going through what can be a really scary diagnosis indeed.

N she just happens to be here joining us to catch us up on her latest running endeavors.

Welcome, Doctor Miller.

It's good to be here.

It's great to have you.

Thanks so much for joining us.

Yes.

Of course.

I can't imagine you not running, but are you in training for another marathon or just out there running?

I am currently running for the joy or the heat of it.

despite these hot weather.

But yep, I'm continuing to run and I do have, half marathon in November that I'll be training for, but in the fall is when that training will kick in.

Sure.

And I can only imagine that going through something like this kind of maybe had a hiccup in your schedule when you're seeing patients and trying to work our things back to normal for you, and where your patients.

Happy to see you back.

Yeah, I've been back to work on my regular schedule for the past seven months, and it's been a joy to be back.

And it was a joy to be reunited, with so many of my patients and to understand better, how to be a good physician, to walk alongside of them.

Having been a patient myself.

Sean, I can really relate to their story, unfortunately, but kind of use that for your benefit in helping others.

Yes, absolutely.

And from what I understand, a lot of your patients, family, friends all came out and kind of rallied around you through this process.

Can you talk to us about that?

Yeah, I had a huge support network, from friends, family, coworkers, everyone.

So very similar to the race, you know, because we did have people cheering for us on the sidelines.

And so they were definitely cheering for me in the roles that they did.

And it was a huge blessing and community to get me through the finish line.

Well, best of luck to you at your next in your next race.

And I'm sure you're going to be, right up there with the best of them in the front.

Thank you so much for.

Yeah, it's been a blessing.

So, well, keep on trucking.

And thanks so much for joining us and sharing your story.

Incredible story.

Yes.

Thank you for having me.

Doctor Miller, thank you so much.

Truly inspiring.

Her story is inspiring, and inspiration is exactly what I felt when I heard the story of a Macungie couple faced with an organ donation dilemma.

When Wendy Rice was in dire need of a kidney.

Her knight in shining armor ended up being the person she was married to for decades.

So soon the pearly were Barry and I used to say years ago.

A 13 hour flight never stopped.

McKendree couple Wendy and Barry Rice from boarding a plane to their destination of choice.

Hawaii is my favorite place to go.

This is Diamondhead, just like beach.

The travel time may not have stopped them, but an illness did.

I got to a nephrologist and he had diagnosed me with nephrotic IBS insipidus.

For more than two decades, Wendy lived with the symptoms of the rare disease caused by a medication that would only grow worse over time.

I started noticing that my health was deterring and I didn't really understand what was going on.

I was drinking all the time.

You're going in the bathroom all the time.

I would drink 3.5l of fluid a day, go to the bathroom, 6.5l a day.

A couple's adventures seemed to be coming to an end.

As the years went on, as we kept getting closer and closer to me needing a kidney transplant, the vacations weren't nearly as enjoyable because my health was not very good.

Rice and doctors decided it was time for a transplant.

1 in 25,000 people have that.

And out of that was 1 in 25,000 people.

1% of those end up having a kidney transplant.

So something very rare.

Time was of the essence.

Those waiting on the transplant list for a kidney.

We an average of 5 to 8 years before receiving an organ.

So her husband Barry stepped in.

I think it's one of the last things you want to.

See, your, spouse have to suffer and go through.

so it wasn't.

It wasn't a question at all.

I think I think it's a duty of the spouse.

you know, you take those those vows.

Early on in marriage, you know, for better or for worse, for, you know, in sickness and in health.

so, you know, I took that to heart.

After months of testing, just when Wendy's kidney function hit an all time low.

Barry was determined to be a match for Wendy.

And I just was amazed that, you know, he would love me that much.

To want to give me a kidney of his.

you know, we were married at the time, 38 years.

And you never think that when you, you know, you get married, that your spouse is going to be your kidney donor.

The couple turned to Lehigh Valley Health Network, where Wendy worked for the operation.

80% of the list for an organ transplant today are kidney transplant recipients.

Doctor Jorge Rafael is the chief of transplant surgery for the Lehigh Valley Transplant Institute.

In our program, we do kidney, pancreas and hopefully soon liver transplantation.

And also in this hospital we do, bone marrow and soil therapy.

Rafael performed the surgery, which was more complicated than a typical kidney transplant.

The physician had to remove not one, but both of Wendy's kidneys and replace them with Barry's donor organ.

The transplant worked, and the Macungie woman says results were instant.

Immediately while I was in the hospital, the Kenny was functioning and like I said, I came home on post-op day two and I felt so good.

Wow.

Husband turned organ donor.

Barry made quite the sacrifice for his wife.

He absolutely did.

And now the Rices are happy and healthy.

And they are here with us now, decked out in their Hawaiian gear.

Barry and Wendy, thank you so much for joining us.

Thanks for having them.

Absolutely.

So we're coming up on almost a year since the surgery.

Since you received your organ.

Since you donated your organ.

How are you both feeling, Wendy?

I feel wonderful.

I haven't felt this good in over 20 years, since before I was diagnosed with the illness.

And I didn't even know I was.

What was going on then that my kidneys were failing.

But ever since you know, I was just getting worse and worse for my health.

And now I just feel wonderful, like I have a new life ahead of me.

Wonderful.

Barry, how about you?

You gave one of your kidneys to your wife.

Do you have any side effects?

Do you feel anything?

Ever since?

Not at all.

I feel perfectly fine.

through the recovery period, that was the most difficult part, you know.

but after that, everything's great.

I would never know.

I gave a kidney.

Awesome, awesome.

And so, what are your plans for the future?

Now that everybody's feeling you know, tipped and ready to go.

What's, what's going on in the future?

We're going to continue to travel because I love to travel.

We just came back from our 20th Hawaiian vacation.

going to Texas in September.

I'm going to continue traveling.

So is Barry, and I'm going to continue working.

I'm a staff nurse in the GI lab, and I'm the staff scheduling nurse coordinator for the operating room.

And I just, had my 40th anniversary at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest.

So I want to continue working because I love it.

I usually do two days a week, one day in the GI lab and one day in the O.R., and Barry has some plans, and I'm sure you've got some different.

His future looks a little different, right?

Yes.

Yeah.

I'm looking, to retire, next year, at some point early and just start enjoying life.

I just, I just I'm satisfied with, the career that I've had at my current employment, and, and I'm just looking to take the next phase.

Wonderful.

Going from thinking you're never going to be able to vacation again to having these big plans.

Congratulations to both of you.

I'm so glad to see you're in good health.

Wendy and Barry, thank you so much for joining us.

Thank you for having us.

That concludes our living in the Lehigh Valley recap show.

We hope you will check out our weekly health and wellness segment, living in the Lehigh Valley on PBS 39.

You can also watch all of our segments when you want on our website on PBS 39.org for PBS 39.

I'm Grover Silcox and I'm Brittany Sweeney.

Hoping you stay happy and healthy.

Capital BlueCross is a proud supporter of health care programing on PBS 39 Medicare coverage, backed by over 80 years of health care expertise, serving 21 counties in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley capital Blue Cross going the extra mile.