6

 | Community Connections | Winter 2019

She remembers 

thinking, “I’ve seen this 

in the movies, it’s never 

a good ending.” Please 

don’t take me from her, 

she needs my strength 

and I need confirmation  

of being with her every 

second I can.”

The next morning the 

ICU doctor came in and 

introduced himself and stated 

that Dr. Keeler had saved her 

life, and if the team at Good 

Shepherd had not done what 

they had to care for Halee 

she would not have made it.

Upon arrival at Legacy Health’s ER 
in Portland, Halee was assessed by 
several surgeons, general trauma, 
and orthopedists. Immediately 
Ronda was escorted away from her 
daughter to a waiting room. 

After hours of surgical exploration 
from the doctors to make sure that 
nothing was missed and nothing 
else needed to be done, Halee  
was resting – fully-medicated and  
on a breathing tube in Neuro 
Trauma ICU.

With the knowledge of organ 
damage, removal of her spleen, 
right ovary, broken hip and pelvis 
in many places, Halee would have 
a long recovery ahead of her. After 
a five-hour surgery on Monday to 
repair her hip and pelvis, she would 
need to learn how to walk again – if 
she was ever able to walk again. 

First Responders and Susan Stephens, RN, and Christopher Keeler, DO, 

attended Halee’s birthday party where she expressed her gratitude for 

another year of life.

Good Shepherd Health Care System’s Emergency and Surgical Teams 

pose with Halee and her mom Ronda, in the trauma bay where  

Halee was cared for in the ER.