Patient Stories

Brendan and the youngest of his three sons were on their way home from a hockey tournament in 2020 when he started to feel faint and knew something wasn’t right. After two emergency trips to the hospital that included being misdiagnosed, Brendan woke up from a nine-day coma to learn that he had infective endocarditis that led to him being septic and in complete organ failure. This resulted in a bovine valve replacement and leg amputation. Upon returning to consciousness, his first words were “Don’t give up my spot on my hockey team”. Brendan was a life-long ice hockey player, and his love and dedication to this team sport would be a pillar that supported his complex medical journey.

As an attorney in Connecticut, Brendan worked with clients who successfully rehabilitated at Hospital for Special Care after their own injury. So, when it was time for him to transition from acute care, he knew he wanted to come to HFSC to begin his own healing. Brendan’s indominable spirit and team-orientated personality led him to be a champion in our rehab gyms where he exceled at learning to walk, run and even skate again with a prosthetic leg. He became a motivator, cheering on his fellow patients as they began to rebuild their lives as well.

The day Brendan discharged from HFSC, he played his sons in a street hockey game. They were thrilled to have their dad back and Brendan was ready to give this second chance his all. Today, he continues to practice law, advocate for medical malpractice clients, teaches college courses and spends his free time on and off the ice with his boys. Together they skate, run marathons and travel, even taking a trip to California to have Brendan fitted for a custom prosthetic skating blade.

When asked about his time at HFSC, he states, “I have a lot more gratitude for my own time, my own second chance for sure. It’s people who care. The standard of care is people who care, and that’s what you have here. That’s what we get every day, and I really appreciate it.”