Michael Fiore and his son followed a meowing sound, in the hopes of finding their lost cat. They did find her, atop their neighbor’s palm tree. So Michael climbed the tree with hooks, stakes, a harness and a basket full of cat food on a pole.

Near the treetop, Michael reached down to readjust his harness, but he realized too late that it had slipped out. He fell 20 feet to the ground below.

When the paramedics arrived, Michael could barely speak. The paramedics insisted on taking him to the only Level II Trauma Center in the region: Providence Holy Cross Medical Center. At Providence Holy Cross’s trauma center, a specialized team of doctors and nurses quickly diagnosed Michael’s injuries: a broken clavicle, collapsed lung, 11 of 12 ribs broken on his left side and widespread internal bleeding. The doctors inserted a tube in his chest to drain the internal bleeding, and put him on the maximum dosage of all relevant clinical and pain-reducing medications.

Michael’s medical team informed him that, based on diagnostic imaging of his injuries, surgery to correct his internal bleeding would be counterproductive. He was better off allowing those injuries to heal on their own. But with the bleeding still ongoing, his body weakened and his lung still collapsed, Michael faced the risk of catching pneumonia. For that reason, the doctors insisted on keeping him in Providence Holy Cross’s immaculate ICU, even though his HMO wanted him transferred to one of the hospitals it runs.

Over the next several weeks, Michael’s condition steadily improved. He was finally stable enough to be transferred to his HMO’s hospital, then go home. After five months of healing, he was fully recovered.

Michael remains eternally grateful to the trauma care physicians, specialists and especially the nurses at

Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, who he credits with saving his life and buoying his spirits when he needed it the most. He is also grateful to his neighbors, who eventually lured his cat out of their tree.