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Brett Newman has lived in Sonoma Valley for 25 years. He and his wife Jeanette know the rhythm of the town, the local parks, and the people. Brett is an early riser, a devoted pickleball player, and someone who enjoys staying fit and active.<\/p>\nBrett Newman has lived in Sonoma Valley for 25 years. He and his wife Jeanette know the rhythm of the town, the local parks, and the people. Brett is an early riser, a devoted pickleball player, and someone who enjoys staying fit and active.<\/p>\n
On the morning of October 4, 2024, he got up for a typical workout\u2014but something felt wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t chest pain or arm pain,\u201d he recalls. \u201cIt felt like something was tearing inside my body.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brett woke Jeanette to tell her he felt off and nauseous. She didn\u2019t hesitate. \u201cWe\u2019re going to the Emergency Room NOW,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
At Sonoma Valley Hospital, they were met by Dr. Robert Zimmerman, who immediately began a full cardiac workup. The results came back normal. But when Brett casually mentioned he also had back pain, Dr. Zimmerman paused. Something didn\u2019t add up. He ordered a CT scan.<\/p>\n
One hour after arriving at SVH, the CT scan revealed a Stanford Type A aortic dissection\u2014a rare and lifethreatening condition caused by a tear in the inner layer of the aorta, the body\u2019s main artery. It requires immediate surgery to prevent fatal complications.<\/p>\n
Dr. Zimmerman confirmed the diagnosis with Cardiologist and CT surgeon Dr. Alex Rainow and approached Brett\u2019s bed with steady urgency and said, \u201cYou have a VERY big problem and need surgery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brett and Jeanette thought that meant later in the week. \u201cNo,\u201d Dr. Zimmerman clarified, \u201cYou need surgery today.\u201d<\/p>\n
At that moment, the entire emergency team moved into action. ER tech Corey Gonsalves contacted Stanford Hospital\u2014one of the few facilities equipped to perform the necessary surgery\u2014and coordinated an emergency helicopter transfer through the Sonoma Valley Fire & Rescue and the REACH air team.<\/p>\n
Before Jeanette left for the two-hour drive to Palo Alto, she asked Corey explain Brett\u2019s condition. Corey jotted it on a slip of paper\u2014\u201cStanford Type A Aortic Dissection\u201d\u2014folded it several times, handed it over, and said gently, \u201cWhatever you do, don\u2019t Google this until you get to Stanford.\"<\/p>\n
Thanks to the quick thinking, expert judgment, and flawless coordination of the Sonoma Valley Hospital team, Brett was on a helicopter within hours. He arrived at Stanford and was in surgery by the time Jeanette reached Palo Alto.<\/p>\n
The timing was everything. For patients with aortic dissections, every minute counts. Early diagnosis and immediate treatment are critical to survival. Brett\u2019s life was saved because the team at Sonoma Valley Hospital acted quickly and with absolute precision.<\/p>\n
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Brett spent ten days in the hospital, including six nights in the ICU, followed by eight weeks of cardiac rehab. He now manages his blood pressure with two medications and continues follow-up care. Though his genetic tests came back negative, his children will undergo echocardiograms to rule out any hereditary risks.<\/p>\n
And today? Brett is back on the court, playing pickleball five days a week with the \u201cSonoma Pickleball Bunch\u201d at Maxwell Park and doing regular cardio. He recently had a minor health scare and headed straight back to SVH.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t taking any chances,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd just walking through those doors gave me peace of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has returned to the hospital\u2014not as a patient, but to say thank you. With flowers. A card. And deep gratitude for a team that saw what others might have missed\u2014and saved his life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m incredibly grateful for Sonoma Valley Hospital,\u201d Brett says. \u201cThe care, compassion, and professionalism\u2014they saved my life.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":24806,"template":"","class_list":["post-24805","hospital-story","type-hospital-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hospital-story\/24805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hospital-story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/hospital-story"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sonomavalleyhospital.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}