PHOENIX (May 29, 2025) – A Sun City West woman recently returned to the hospital to thank her medical team for saving her life after enduring a life-threatening stroke.
Claudia Butcher, 75, remembers standing in her kitchen one morning when her husband asked if she was okay. She said yes, but when she sat down in the living room and started talking, nothing made sense. Blood flow to her brain was being blocked by a clot, causing an ischemic stroke, and time was extremely important for her outcome.
After Butcher’s husband called 911, she was transported from their home in Sun City West to nearby Banner Del Webb Medical Center, where it was determined that she needed to be airlifted to Banner — University Medical Center Phoenix for lifesaving treatment.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Jeyan Kumar removed the blood clot from her brain by performing a thrombectomy, which involves using a small catheter to clear the vessel. After the procedure, Butcher stayed in the intensive care unit for a few days before going home with no paralysis or speech issues.
“I call him (Dr. Kumar) my lifesaver,” Butcher said. “I’m just happy I get to wake up every day, and it wouldn’t be possible without him at the team at Banner.”
Butcher, who remains in physical therapy, met with Dr. Kumar and some of her medical team to celebrate her recovery as part of National Stroke Awareness Month.
“It was really crucial that her husband recognized the symptoms and called 911 right away,” Dr. Kumar said. “Time is of the essence for stroke cases, and we were honored to help get Claudia back to where she is today.”
About Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix
Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix is a large teaching hospital that has provided medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. It is part of Banner – University Medicine, a premier academic medical network. The institution, which has trained thousands of doctors over decades as a teaching hospital, is the academic medical center for The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix. The hospital, recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s best hospitals, specializes in heart care, cancer care, high-risk obstetrics, neurosciences, organ transplants, medical toxicology and emergency care, including a Level I trauma center. Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix is part of Banner Health, a nonprofit health care system with 33 hospitals in six states. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/universityphoenix.
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