Impact Stories

At 19, Emily’s life changed in an instant. A serious car accident left her with extensive injuries and a long recovery ahead. What began as a prescription for pain management gradually grew into an opioid addiction—one she battled for more than 15 years.

Past attempts to achieve and maintain sobriety had taught him that he’d need a Herculean effort and a lot of support to be successful long-term. “I was a drunk by nature, and I didn’t know how to live sober” Eddie said. He went to Sarah Prylinski, Street Outreach nurse, for help. “I came into her office and said, ‘Hey, can you help me?

Some of Lauren Zurick’s earliest memories are of hospitals and the caregivers who helped her recover after a childhood car accident. Those memories quietly planted the seed for a future in health care—one that years later would grow stronger when her newborn son faced a sudden, life-threatening illness.

When Bob and Maureen “Mo” Dwyer talk about their lives, the conversation always circles back to family. Married for more than 50 years, they raised five children and are proud grandparents to 11, including two sets of identical twin boys. “So fun,” Mo says with a smile.

Some people are energized by learning new things. They tend to be curious and want to learn more. What may happen next is a dive into a whole new world. Hamot Health Foundation donor Joyce Ravnikar-Kulyk is one of those people.

Amelia was born to Candace and Gregory Roberts on June 2nd, 2023, at 26 weeks' gestational age and would go on to spend 115 days in the NICU at McGee-Womens Hospital at UPMC Hamot.