Conquering Pain with Spine Surgery at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital

Stephen Nowlin became unexpectedly paralyzed one day when preparing for a Fourth of July celebration with friends. A flight EMS team was called to transport him when the flight nurse on call, Hannah Carr, recognized the address of the accident—her childhood home. She flew her father to Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, where he could have the fastest, most comprehensive trauma response—and a chance at full recovery.

When routine yard work went wrong

Preparing for his annual Fourth of July party, Stephen mowed his 13-acre property in Waco, Georgia. The routine chore took a terrifying turn when his mower flipped. Trapped underneath, he realized he was paralyzed. His friend soon discovered him lying there and called 911. 

Meanwhile, Stephen’s daughter, Hannah, was working that day as a flight nurse for a local air ambulance company. When the call came in about a 60-year-old man in a tractor accident, paralyzed, at her parents' address, she instantly knew who it was. Hannah and her air ambulance service partner were on their way. 

In good hands: first responders act fast

The local fire department and EMS arrived quickly, carefully removing the mower without moving Stephen. They transported him to a nearby landing zone where Hannah and her flight partner waited. As Stephen was loaded onto the helicopter, he told his daughter, “I just hope they can fix me.”

Hannah and her partner did a thorough, head-to-toe assessment for life-threatening injuries.

“I knew I was in good hands,” Stephen said. “She's going to take care of me better than anybody else would.”

On the flight to Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center, a Level I Trauma Center, Hannah communicated with the hospital ahead of arrival. In emergency situations, it’s important the team is assembled and ready to perform care as fast as possible. Because of their collaboration, not a minute was wasted.

When a stroke or heart attack strikes, every second matters. Saving time could mean saving a life, and it’s crucial that medical treatment starts right away. That’s why in the case of a heart attack or stroke, call 911 immediately—don’t drive yourself or another person to the hospital. 

Emergency Medical Service crews are trained to start life-saving treatment on the way to the hospital, minimizing damage to your heart or brain. They can also conduct and interpret electrocardiograms to diagnose a heart attack in the ambulance. 

You also don’t want to drive if you are experiencing a heart attack or stroke yourself because your condition could worsen on the way to the emergency department and impact your ability to stay safe on the road. 

“If you're having an emergency, which could be severe abdominal pain, chest pain, shortness of breath, weakness that you can't really explain, you've got to call 911,” said Dr. Ed Malcom, an emergency medicine physician at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center. “The ambulance and the EMS services will get you to the emergency department in a safe way, and we will get you taken care of.” 

When a patient has a heart attack, ambulance crews communicate with our cardiac team on the way to the hospital, bypassing the emergency department and diverting directly to the cardiac catheterization lab, where our team is ready to restore blood flow to your heart. Calling 911 means reopening the heart artery sooner. And when someone has a stroke, it’s also crucial to take action right away—the sooner you seek treatment, the more brainpower can be saved. 

To learn more about how Wellstar treats heart attacks and strokes, visit our heart care and neuro care pages. 

A Wellstar patient recovering from a brain injury got a surprise visit Thursday from a former Atlanta Falcons player in celebration of the teenager’s graduation from the intensive care unit of Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center in Marietta.

Oheneba “O.J.” Appiah, 17, who plays linebacker for the football team at Archer High School near Lawrenceville, sustained the brain injury during a football game last month.

“After the game, he said he was dizzy, and that’s when he passed out,” said his mom, Elizabeth Appiah.

“I met O.J. on the worst day of his life,” said Dr. Phillip Parry, a Wellstar neurosurgeon. “He had a life-threatening bleed inside his head, and we took him to surgery immediately.”

O.J. has come a long way during his 20-day stay in intensive care.

“His miraculous recovery is a testament to the care he received and an inspiration to us all to continue doing what we do every day,” Dr. Parry said.

“We are so grateful to God,” O.J.’s mother said. “The team here is great, and the nurses are amazing.”

Wellstar Kennestone’s neuro-ICU team, called “5 Blue East,” bonded with O.J. and his family over their love of football. The team members said it’s been great witnessing O.J.’s recovery and seeing his personality come back.

Former Atlanta Falcons and Pro Bowl player Ovie Mughelli visited O.J. during a special surprise party Thursday. Mughelli gave O.J. a signed jersey and photo from his professional football days and shared advice.

“You had a hard situation happen to you, but you can do hard things,” said Mughelli, encouraging O.J. to “ask for help up front.”

The young football player had just one question for the former NFL player: “How do you get an offer?”

By working hard and building relationships, Mughelli responded. He also stressed the importance of focusing on school. After learning O.J. had never been to a Falcons game, Mughelli invited him to attend one next season.

Wellstar Kennestone President Lorrie Liang, who also stopped by to congratulate O.J., noticed Mughelli’s gift.

“Now you have a jersey to wear during rehab,” she said to O.J.

But O.J. didn’t feel like waiting. He put on the jersey almost immediately.