Coach Nelson

When the unexpected happens, you need a strong team behind you. No one knows that more than Charlie Nelson, a retired teacher and tennis coach in Florence. What started as a feeling of pressure and back pain, quickly became a matter of life or death. Coach Nelson went to the nearest emergency department where tests revealed a tear in his aorta, resulting in critical blood supplies being cut off from major organs. The McLeod HeartReach ambulance quickly transported him to McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, where Dr. Christopher Cunningham, a top McLeod Vascular Surgeon, went to work. Using x-ray imaging, Dr. Cunningham skillfully guided a catheter through the artery and sealed the tear with a stent graft. Thankfully, when Coach Nelson was in the match of his life, our vascular expertise served up the healthcare ace he needed.