The Extra Mile
Date: October 22, 2007

What happens when you are seriously injured thousands of miles and an ocean away from home and with few resources to help?

For Hassan, who had come to Rome from Saudi Arabia for a brief medical internship with Dr. Brij Singh, the answer is to depend on the resources and mission of Floyd Medical Center. Hassan had broken his leg and an arm in an automobile wreck and later injured the ACL of his opposite leg in a fall, rendering him unable to walk. In addition, insurance and reimbursement issues were tied up in the hands of government officials, leaving Hassan without medical equipment or medical care at home once he was discharged.

His situation was further complicated by cultural issues and by geography. Hassan’s wife and child were in Rome with him, but his wife did not drive and he had no other family to help. And, Hassan and his family are Muslim, which meant other considerations were necessary in caring for him.

Although it might have been easy to let Hassan and his family deal with the Saudi government and fend for themselves as he recuperated, Susan Riley, physician liaison for orthopedic services, chose instead to take action on the young doctor’s behalf. She asked Sean Higgins, physical therapist and physician liaison for rehabilitation services, to help Hassan with physical therapy and to prepare him for his continued recovery at home. The pair saw immediately that Hassan needed help and that the cultural differences would impact his care.

Each time Sean visited, Hassan’s wife had to conceal herself in another room, since their religion forbids women to be seen by other men unless they are completely veiled. On one occasion, Sean killed fire ants on the outdoor steps that Hassan would be using to get to and from his apartment, only to discover that Muslims do not believe in killing the insects.

Sean and Susan had intended to teach Hassan how to do physical therapy in his home until he could return to Saudi Arabia. When they discovered he was ill-prepared, the pair arranged for further help.

Hassan’s apartment was down an embankment and up six steps, and his furniture had low seats–virtually impossible to use for a patient whose legs are not weight-bearing. He could not get out of his apartment if there had been a fire or other emergency. Sean taught Hassan and his family how to stack pillows on the sofa to give him the ability to rise and sit more easily. He and Susan borrowed a portable toilet and walker for him to use, and Sean taught him how to sit and stand with help.

Adding another layer of consideration was that Hassan and his family were observing Ramadan, a religious holiday during which he and his family do not eat from sunup until sundown.

Doctor appointments were arranged for the early morning so that Hassan could eat and have strength to get to and from the physicians office, and Sean and Susan made arrangements to get him there. Susan drove her SUV to Hassan’s apartment. She and Sean borrowed a wheelchair to help transport their patient.

“We could have called a taxi, but there was no way he could have gotten to the taxi from his door,” Susan said. “I really don’t know how he wouldn’t have gotten there. He did not have any other way.”

“We took him to the doctor. We waited with him and made sure he had his X-rays and lab work to send back to Saudi Arabia. We wanted to make sure they had all the reports and the doctor’s protocols.”

The pair even helped Hassan get to the airport when it was time for him and his family to fly home. Susan said it’s not uncommon for Floyd to provide the kind of extra care Hassan received. "When one of our patients needs extra help, we do what we can to help them," she said.

<< back to Outstanding Story Archives