Muscle Shoals resident Eva Nelson’s struggle with back and neck trouble began in her 20s. As the pain got progressively worse, she sought help from more doctors, chiropractors and pain clinics than she cares to remember. Nothing worked. By age 45, Eva couldn’t stand up long enough to make dinner for her family.

After missing her son’s 8th grade graduation while stuck in bed, she decided she had to do something.

At the urging of a church friend, Eva went to see neurosurgeon Rhett Murray, MD, who specializes in the treatment of spine, cranial and peripheral nerve disorders at Huntsville Hospital’s Spine & Neuro Center.

“When he said he could help me, I cried,” she said.

Dr. Murray scheduled Eva for lumbar fusion surgery at Huntsville Hospital, which is ranked among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Spine Surgery by Healthgrades. She had follow-up surgery a few months later to fix a severely herniated disc in her neck.

Today, Eva feels like a new woman. She can drive again. She can walk without a cane. She can get down on the floor and play with her grandchildren.

“I can actually dance,” Eva said, laughing. “Slow dancing, line dancing — you name it.”

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In the moments after a frightening car crash, Kindall Welch’s mom remembers seeing the six-year-old trapped in his car seat, unresponsive. But thanks to Huntsville Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma physicians and the skilled pediatric physicians at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children, Kindall made a full recovery from his injuries. And now when his mom looks at him, she sees an energetic, athletic, outspoken little boy — just like before.

Watch the rest of Kindall's story below.

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Pat McAfee recently had hip replacement surgery at Madison Hospital. We sat down with her to talk about the experience, and her reason for wanting to get healthy.

Pat McAfee turned her love of travel into a career as a flight attendant.

But a pocket of rough air nearly grounded her for good.

She was pouring a drink for a passenger when the plane hit unexpected turbulence over the Rockies, throwing her across the galley. The scary incident left Pat with multiple ruptured discs in her back. She later developed chronic pain in both hips.

“If I moved a certain way, it felt like being hit by a lightning bolt,” Pat said. “Sitting for long stretches was also uncomfortable, so that really made traveling difficult.”

After moving to Madison, Pat decided to stop living with pain. She had her left hip replaced first, then returned to Madison Hospital for minimally-invasive surgery on her right hip.

Pat’s orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Christopher Parks, was able to replace her bad hip through a small incision in the upper thigh. Joint patients tend to heal faster from this anterior approach because they spend less time under anesthesia and there’s less cutting of the muscles surrounding the hip.

Pat was able to get around her hospital room with a walker that same day. When Dr. Parks dropped in to see how she was doing, she gave him a big hug.

“I was grateful the surgery was over,” Pat said, “but I also felt like there was hope.”

Today, Pat is fully recovered and feeling great. She volunteers twice a week at Madison Hospital and is looking forward to hitting the road again, starting with Italy, Spain and Australia.

“It’s a big world out there,” Pat said, “and I’m ready to go see it.”

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Joy Tornquist was short of breath and slowing down in her daily activities. Thanks to the diagnostic cardiac cath team, triple bypass surgery and the expertise of Heart Center cardiothoracic surgeons, she is thankful to be back in the saddle again.

Watch the rest of Joy’s story below.

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