Patients
Hope Restored When Every Second Counted
“He was rushed in. We did not even know the name of the hospital that would save his life. By the time we left the ER, they had already given us back hope.” - Hediya Sizar
Mrs. Hediya Sizar shares this with quiet intensity, recalling the day everything changed for her family.
A moment that changed a family’s life
Mrs. Hediya Sizar is based in New York City but lives bi-coastally in Los Angeles, where her family is rooted. On April 10, her father, Abbas Sizar, suffered a life-threatening stroke and was rushed to Adventist Health White Memorial, Los Angeles.
“We had never heard of the hospital before that day,” she says. “We only knew we needed help immediately.”
What happened next would define the course of her father’s survival.
The ER where seconds mattered
“At the emergency room, everything moved so fast,” Mrs. Hediya Sizar recalls. “They did a CT scan immediately and saw a large clot in his brain.”
Within minutes, physicians made the decision to perform a thrombectomy to restore blood flow.
“I remember sitting in the waiting room thinking I might lose him and not even having time to process it,” she says.
Then came the moment she will never forget. Dr. Zachary Barnard, who performed the procedure, walked into the waiting area.
“He spoke with such calmness and compassion,” Mrs. Hediya Sizar says. “He told us the procedure was successful and showed us the images. It felt like the ground beneath us finally steadied.”
A life saving stroke program
Mrs. Hediya Sizar believes her father’s survival is directly tied to a newly established stroke program at Adventist Health White Memorial, Los Angeles.
“If that program and Dr. Barnard’s expertise had not been there, I do not believe my father would be here in the same condition today,” she says.
She describes the experience as both urgent and deeply coordinated. “The team did not just treat a patient. They treated a family in crisis.”
Care that goes beyond the bedside
Her father, who has atrial fibrillation (irregular heart heart), is now navigating complex follow up care across multiple specialists.
“There are so many layers to his treatment now,” she explains. “Cardiology, neurology, hematology. It is all interconnected.”
What stands out most is not only medical precision, but communication.
“Dr. Barnard even coordinated with my father’s outside neurologist at Cedars Sinai,” she says. “That level of care and follow through is rare.”
What remains after survival
Mrs. Hediya Sizar paused when asked how she was coping.
“I have not fully processed it,” she admits. “We have been with him every hour, every appointment, every step.”
Her voice softens as she continues. “But I am grateful. This experience gave me time with my father that I might not have had otherwise.”
She adds, “It is not just about saving a life. It is about everything that comes after.”
Every second matters
Mrs. Hediya Sizar now speaks with conviction about Adventist Health White Memorial.
“The stroke program is not just innovative. It is essential,” she says. “It creates access to life saving care in a moment when there is no time to lose.”
She urges the community to recognize what makes it possible.
“Programs like this exist because of investment and support,” she says. “People should know that giving to Adventist Health White Memorial directly impacts families like mine.”
At Adventist Health White Memorial, stroke care is built for speed—because in a stroke, every minute can mean the difference between recovery and disability.
As a Los Angeles County EMS–designated Comprehensive Stroke Center and a DNV Primary Plus Stroke Center, the hospital meets the highest standards for rapid diagnosis, advanced treatment, and coordinated recovery.
That means patients get immediate access to specialized stroke teams, cutting-edge brain imaging, and life-saving interventions the moment they arrive.
Learn more about supporting these life-saving services or donate and make a difference today.
