When Kathryn Lindquist found herself in the care of MedStar Health after a frightening health event, the thoughtful, world-class treatment she received would inspire her to ensure others could access the same compassionate, life-changing support.
One evening in 2021, Kathryn was watching the news and eating dinner—a typical way to wind down the day since her husband had passed three years earlier. Suddenly, everything went dark. Kathryn regained awareness 30 minutes later and promptly went to the emergency department at MedStar Montgomery Medical Center.
She had experienced transient global amnesia (TGA)—a condition affecting short-term memory and brain function. The next 48 hours would be a blur of tests and examinations.
When Kathryn learned that she did not pass all her memory-centered testing, she was devastated. But she says she felt nothing but support from her caregivers. “I remember the great amount of kindness from my clinicians—I felt that they understood how stressful it is when you can’t remember,” she says.
One such clinician was Matthew Edwardson, MD, a neurologist at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. “He was my only lifeline to sanity and understanding my situation while trying to heal myself,” she says. He worked with Kathryn consistently for three months and later referred her to Yasar A. Torres-Yaghi, MD, director of the Parkinsonism and Dementia Clinic at MedStar Georgetown to assist in treating Kathryn’s TGA.
“Working with Dr. Torres-Yaghi—that felt like a lightbulb going off. I knew I was in front of brilliance and scientific expertise,” she says. “He was empathetic and dedicated. I just wanted to have some of the pain and stress inside me calm down. He had an ability with his voice to calm and heal his patients.”
It was, in part, because of the exceptional care she received at MedStar Health that Kathryn decided to make a donation toward bolstering services and staff across numerous service lines, including neurology, at both MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and MedStar Montgomery Medical Center.
“I thought about how many other people I could help and how many people have the need for care and can’t get in to see a neurologist,” Kathryn says. “I am a strong believer in pushing forward and figuring out a way to accomplish something. I want to make sure that all MedStar Health’s communities can receive the treatment they need.”
Kathryn, a former educator, international trade specialist, and international marketing expert who is passionate about supporting early-career professionals, also helped to launch MedStar Health’s Clinical Research Scholar Track. Through Kathryn's gift, Carlo Tornatore, MD, regional chief of neurology for MedStar Health, is training future leaders of neurological care in clinical investigation and cutting-edge research techniques.
By paying it forward, Kathryn is not only expressing gratitude for the care that helped her heal—she is shaping the future of neurological treatment, ensuring more patients receive the support, expertise, and hope they need on their own care journeys.