Vital for award-winning neurological care.
“My son is everything to me. I’m a single dad. So when I had a bad headache, I was scared.”
Meet Orly
Orly’s a single dad. His son is everything. So when he started having bad headaches and feeling dizzy at work, he feared the worse. He went to the emergency room, and then based on an eventual MRI, Summa Health discovered a tumor in his pituitary gland at the base of his brain.
The good news — not cancerous. However, he would need surgery to remove the tumor. Orly was referred to Summa Health neurosurgeon Dr. Dane Donich.
"Usually, you remove the tumor through the nose. But mine was too big. The tumor. Not my nose."
Because of the tumor size, Dr. Donich suggested going in through the side of the head. Because this was brain surgery, Orly went for a second opinion, but decided to return to Summa and Dr. Donich; he liked his approach and compassion.
"Dr. Donich was like, 'If you were my brother, my friend, my family, I'd recommend that we remove the tumor through the side of your head.' I looked at him straight up and thought, I'm going with you. God put you in my path for a reason."
On the Road to Recovery
He had the brain surgery and was home three days later. His family and friends pitched in to care for him. Especially his son.
"My son is my hero. He was there with me. Coming home from school, he'd take care of me. He didn't let me move. He didn't let me pick up nothing. Call me, he said. Wake me up if you need me."
Orly is still recovering, but doing well. He is back at the gym, lifting lightly, hiking, swimming, and most importantly, he's back doing some of the things he loves with his son: playing basketball, remote control cars. His sense of humor keeps him going.
"I'm very positive. I never feel negative. Even if I'm down, I'm always up."
