Stroke Care Success Story

For a few brief but terrifying hours, Jordan Bakker feared he might never see the mother of his three young children again.

Jordan’s wife, Erin—just 40 years old and in otherwise good health—suffered a stroke in March 2015 during a date night the couple was enjoying with friends. When she arrived at Adventist Health Simi Valley minutes later, the hospital’s stroke care team was ready. Thankfully, the prompt and effective care Erin received that day prevented any severe long-term issues, and she was soon able to return home to her husband and children.

A few months later, Jordan reported to a rapt audience at Adventist Health Simi Valley’s 50th anniversary gala that his wife had made a remarkable recovery.

"Seeing her today, no one would ever know that she could have easily not been with us on that night seven months ago,” he said.

Thanks to the quick actions of friends, first responders and the physicians, nurses and other staff at Adventist Health Simi Valley, Erin Bakker is now back to her active lifestyle.

"That’s what our stroke team is all about—reuniting families, giving people a chance to return to work and life, and providing care and hope during some of the darkest times many people will ever experience,” said Shannon Morris, Adventist Health Simi Valley's stroke coordinator. “It’s also the reason we work so hard to meet and exceed standards of care set out by national health care organizations. It’s not about achieving an award or meeting a goal—it’s about the people whose lives are positively impacted by the continual emphasis on quality care represented by those awards.”