CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The spirit of hope and strength took center stage at Corpus Christi Medical Center.
May 21 is National Trauma Survivors Day. In observance of the day, the hospital honored the resilience of survivors and the tireless work of their medical and emergency staff.
Samuel Rodriguez was among those celebrated. He was treated by hospital staff in February after being struck by a car while riding his bike. Rodriguez suffered from subdural hematomas, a type of bleeding near the brain that occurs after a head injury. He credited Corpus Christi Medical Center for saving his life.
"I'm grateful," Rodriguez said. "In the beginning when this all happened to me, I said, why me? But as time went by, I acknowledged to the staff that I'm grateful that I can walk."
Staff members, including Trauma Director June Delgado, were also recognized for their dedication.
"Our culture is one of true caring and compassion," Delgado said. "It's something that's easy to feel and once team members come on and they get exposed to that, they definitely want to stay and then they go above and beyond naturally without being asked to."
Special awards were also presented to EMS crews for their courage and commitment on the front lines.
"I'm grateful because without the first responders I wouldn't be here," Rodriguez said.
While Wednesday was a time for celebration, Delagado stressed the importance of the community knowing there's always help available in times of tragedy.
"The reality is that trauma doesn't care it doesn't care if you have big plans," June said. "It doesn't care what your social status is. It doesn't care where you're from. It happens and when it happens we will be here ready to deliver excellence and care and to help them become trauma survivors and not a statistic."
