Rachel Trockman

The last moment retired physician, Dr. Rachel Trockman, remembers was not being able to get up from the couch and having a fever of 103 degrees.

Mitchell Trockman rushed his wife, Rachel, to the HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital Emergency Room, while on vacation from Minnesota. He soon learned she had contracted the rare Legionnaires' disease. Within hours of her arrival, she was on life support fighting for her life.

After a hard fight and strong support from her family, friends and our caregiver team, Rachel was able to come off the ventilator. She worked to regain her strength to be able to eat, move and walk all over again. After more than a month at the hospital and a couple weeks at HCA Florida Pasadena Hospital Inpatient Rehabilitation, she was able to return home. It was a bitter sweet moment for the Trockman Family and our hospital family, after we grew to be family during Rachel's time in our ICU and inpatient rehabilitation unit.