Amber Gray, 19-year-old forward for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team, is going home from Drake Center Tuesday, August 11.
Gray underwent elective surgery on July 2 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Knoxville to repair her rotator cuff. Post-surgery complications led to the discovery of an unrelated brain aneurysm that began to hemorrhage, causing a stroke. She was flown to University Hospital in Cincinnati where renowned neurosurgeon Mario Zuccarello, M.D., of the Mayfield Clinic and the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute performed a 12 ½ hour surgical procedure to clip the aneurysm.
Gray was admitted to Drake Center on July 23 for rehabilitation to help build her strength, and improve walking and swallowing. She is being discharged 2 ½ weeks sooner than expected, and will begin a sports rehab program.
Gray’s mother, Tonya Carter, believes the miracle of this experience is that having the rotator cuff surgery may have saved her life since it led to the discovery of the aneurysm in the best possible surroundings. “Some people are born with aneurysms, and they don’t find out until it’s too late,” she said.
Clinicians at Drake are attributing Gray’s early discharge to her strong spirit and positive attitude, and her coach and teammates say her illness has brought them closer together. “Amber is family,” said Lady Vols Coach, Pat Summitt.
Others attending the news conference are: Amber’s mother, Tonya Carter and Drake physician, Mark Goddard, M.D., Medical Director for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Gray is a high school All-American (Lakota West High School) from Mason, Ohio.
She played in 27 games as a freshman for the Lady Vols last season.
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