Baptist accounting coordinator grateful to work at hospital that saved her husband’s life

DeVona Parker, accounting coordinator with Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, is grateful to be working at the same hospital that saved her husband’s life 22 years ago. 

Steven had emergency open-heart surgery for a tear in his aorta that was initially mistaken for a kidney stone.   

On Aug. 22, 2003, Steven called DeVona after lunch about pain in his lower back.  

“He'd had kidney stones in the past, so we assumed it was a kidney stone,” said DeVona. But when he visited the office where she worked, he struggled to get out of his truck. His pain was so bad he couldn't stand up straight. 

“This had never happened with a kidney stone,” said DeVona. 

A trip to a nearby urgent care center didn’t provide a conclusive diagnosis or any answers. "They did blood work and scans, and nothing showed evidence of an acute stone,” said DeVona. “They gave him a shot for pain, and we went home.”

Steven felt horrible that whole night, but he didn’t want to go the hospital overnight because the couple’s son, who was almost 3 years old, would need a babysitter. Steven believed he would be fine until the morning. 

“He wasn't fine in the morning, so that’s when we went to Baptist,” said DeVona.

Hospital staff ran tests and X-rays. It wasn't until they ran a CT scan of Steven’s abdominal area that they realized he had a Type A aortic dissection, a tear in the upper part of the aorta near the heart, which was the source of his pain. 

“The aortic dissection started just above his aortic valve and continued all the way to his abdomen,” said DeVona. “Of course, I didn't have any idea what that meant at the time. So I asked the doctor who said Steven needed to be taken to the operating room as quickly as possible for emergency open-heart surgery,” said DeVona.  

The lower back pain her husband felt was from the tear draining blood and other fluids into his lower abdominal area. 

"It upset me,” said DeVona. “I didn't want Steven to see me upset so I walked outside to call my mom.”  

Before DeVona could finish her call, a nurse came outside to find her. She encouraged DeVona to stay with her husband because of the seriousness of the illness. “She told me in the nicest way possible most people normally don’t survive,” said DeVona. “She just wanted me to understand the seriousness of what was going on so I’d be in the right place if Steven didn’t make it.”

When DeVona went back into the waiting room, another nurse was there to comfort her.

“There was a male nurse named Rick that I will never forget,” said DeVona. “He kept coming in and out and asking me if I needed anything. He just seemed so caring. He didn't know who I was. He didn't know me at all. But he just wanted to check on me and make sure there wasn't anything I needed because I was by myself.” 

While DeVona’s family was on the way to the ER, Rick continued to keep her company. 

"He never left my side,” said DeVona. “Once Steven was taken to the operating room, Rick took me to the waiting room and waited there with me until my family and friends made their way.”

Dr. Mart McMullen, who has since passed away, was Steven's surgeon. McMullen explained to DeVona most people died within four hours of an aortic tear, so Steven’s survival without medical treatment for 28 hours was a miracle. 

“I feel like God had his hand on my husband the whole time,” said DeVona.  

Steven survived the surgery, but has since experienced other medical issues.

“Steven has had three open-heart surgeries, abdominal surgery, knee and hip surgery and a repair of a right carotid artery dissection,” said DeVona. “He also overcame paralysis on his right side after a stroke a few years ago. And not long after that, he had a seizure that left irreversible effects, such as hand tremors, weakness, short-term memory issues and balance/coordination issues.”  

With these challenges, finding a role that would allow DeVona to balance having a career while caring for her husband became more of a priority. Medical coding initially caught her attention because she had seen how a close friend who worked remotely as a medical coder could better take care of her quadriplegic husband. 

“I just kind of thought that might be something I could do at home and be around Steven to make sure he's not climbing ladders while also getting him to doctor's appointments,” said DeVona.   

Despite receiving her medical certification, DeVona could not find a job as a medical coder. Employers kept rejecting her because she didn’t have enough experience. So DeVona started looking for accounting positions.  

“I've always loved numbers and problem solving,” said DeVona. “That's when this job for Baptist popped up. I applied, interviewed and was offered the job.”   

Working at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center feels like having the opportunity to return the grace she and her husband received during his emergency surgery.    

"I'm very thankful this is where I ended up,” said DeVona. “Working at Baptist really feels like a full circle moment. I'm working at the same hospital where Steven’s life was saved.”