Tatum Clouatre shares her journey after suffering a stroke

My name is Tatum Clouatre, and when I was 18 years old, I had a stroke.

As you can imagine, this was a very scary time for me and my family, but my fear was a little more bearable because of the amazing care I received at East Jefferson General Hospital and the LCMC Health family of hospitals.  

My grandmother suffered a massive stroke when she was 54 and had a favorable outcome after receiving care at East Jefferson. She was treated with a new drug that reversed the effects of her stroke. Because of that positive experience, when I started showing signs of a stroke, my mom knew exactly where she wanted to bring me for treatment.  

The Emergency Room nurses, Allyson, Kimmie, and several others were amazing and eased my fears when I was admitted to East Jefferson. Dr. Peterson, an East Jefferson neurologist, diagnosed my stroke and started my treatment. Dr. Dumont, a Tulane Medical Center neurosurgeon, operated and removed the clot on my brain. Dr. Deffer, East Jefferson, also played a key role in my recovery. He went out of his way and worked overtime to check on me every day after my stroke. He made sure I was strong enough for my next surgery, and then referred me to LSU cardiologist, Dr. Cox. Dr. Cox and Children’s Hospital New Orleans’s cardiologist, Dr. Bartakian, performed a heart procedure to close a hole in my heart. After that procedure, I was still having an issue with bleeding, so I followed up with Dr. Cox at University Medical Center. Lori and Nicole from the East Jefferson nursing staff helped to coordinate my aftercare. The team at LCMC Health was instrumental in my recovery and turned an overwhelming experience into my testimony. The assistance, care, and concern of the nursing staff like Keisha and others was a comfort to my entire family. 

Today, I’m happy to share that I’m in good health and currently a student at LSU.

After my experience, my mom shared a thank you note with the team at East Jefferson stating,

“I can’t thank you all enough for the gift of peace it gave our family to be so well cared for. Please be assured that you will stay in our prayers. You are truly angels on earth!” 

My family is forever grateful for what East Jefferson gave us.