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Sea Changes Along the Navesink
An evening cruise along the Navesink River turned tragic when a Holmdel
family’s boat ran aground on a sandbar. Now, a year after the incident, one victim
is still in recovery and is thankful for the little things in life.
When Diane Demarco boarded
her family boat last August,
she was simply setting out for a
relaxing cruise and dinner with her
husband and some friends. But while
she was down below in the cabin,
the boat suddenly ran into a sandbar,
and she was thrown to the floor.
After hitting her head, she woke
up in excruciating pain.
Diane was rushed to Riverview
Medical Center’s Alton A. Hovnanian
Emergency Care Center, where
board-certified emergency physician
Stephanie Reynolds, D.O., immediately
evaluated her and ordered a head
CT and x-rays of the neck. "Diane
was clearly in a great deal of pain,
and the massive bruise on her head
was alarming," recounts Dr. Reynolds.
Diane was conscious throughout
her experience in the Emergency Care
Center, and she remembers the full
range of emotions that she experienced.
"I was scared to death because I didn’t
know if surgery was needed," says
Diane. "Dr. Reynolds was incredibly
kind throughout the whole process.
She validated that I was entitled to
all my feelings, and she gave me time
to express myself during a terrifying
episode in my life."
Commendable Teamwork
Thanks to state-of-the-art technology
at Riverview Medical Center,
Dr. Reynolds was able to consult
with the chairman of the Department
of Radiology, Robert Wold, M.D., and review the images with him while
she was at the hospital and he was at
home. This real-time exchange was
made possible by Riverview’s Picture
Archive Communication System
(PACS), which stores images in a digital
format and allows physicians to view
the films at any time from computer
terminals throughout the Medical
Center, in their offices, and even
at home.
Still concerned about Diane’s
condition, Dr. Reynolds and Dr.Wold
agreed that another CT scan of the
neck to look at some additional
vertebrae was necessary. With the
speed and quality of PACS facilitating
their work, the doctors promptly made
a precise assessment and diagnosis:
Diane had fractured her neck.
Dr. Reynolds then contacted
the Trauma Center at Jersey Shore
University Medical Center. Since
Riverview and Jersey Shore are
both Meridian Health hospitals,
Dr. Reynolds seamlessly arranged for
an immediate transfer and personally
spoke with the trauma surgeons at the Trauma Center to prep them for Diane’s
arrival. A short ride later, Diane’s
broken neck was evaluated and treated
by surgeon Lambro Demetriades, M.D.
The Recovery Continues
Diane’s neck injury required her to
have a metal halo attached to her skull.
She remained hospitalized for about
a week so that her medical team could
monitor her neck fracture as well as
attend to other injuries she’d suffered,
which included a punctured lung and
broken rib.
For the past year, Diane has made
physical therapy part of her weekly
routine to build strength and improve
movement in her muscles. While
it has been a long and challenging
journey toward recovery, she feels
better every day, and she makes it a
point to relish the little things in life.
"Dr. Wold and the entire team saved
my life," says Diane. "What was a
nightmare has taught me not to take
things for granted."
 – Donna Sellmann
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