Six years after surviving a ruptured brain aneurysm, Lane Buck carries a permanent reminder of the day that changed her life with a tattoo that reads “10%.”
The number was written by one of the TriStar Summit Medical Center intensive care unit nurses who helped care for her during recovery. Lane later learned she had been given less than a 10% chance of survival.
“No one had told me how slim the survival rate was,” Lane said. “I had that nurse write down 10% and I now have a tattoo, in her handwriting, to remind me how very fortunate I was. The odds were stacked against me.”
Today, that tattoo represents more than survival. It reflects Lane’s gratitude, her renewed outlook on life and the lasting bond she formed with the caregivers, first responders and community members who helped save her.
Every year on the anniversary of her aneurysm, Lane returns to thank the people who played a role in her story. She brings cookies and visits caregivers at TriStar Summit, first responders and even the grocery story team members who called for help when she collapsed.
For Ashley Gasser, who was working as an ER nurse at TriStar Summit when Lane arrived, those visits are incredibly meaningful.
“When patients come into the emergency department, we often meet them on one of the worst days of their lives,” Ashley said. “You do everything you can in that moment and then hope for the best. Seeing Lane come back every year, healthy and thriving, is incredibly special. It’s a reminder of why we chose healthcare, to help people through difficult moments and hopefully see them go on to live full lives.”
Lane’s journey began in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning. A friend had recently had a baby and was not comfortable taking a newborn into the store, so Lane offered to help by making a quick grocery run.
While checking out a grocery story in Hermitage, Lane suddenly became unwell.
“The next thing I remember is lying on the floor and hearing someone call 911,” she said.
Emergency responders rushed Lane across the street to TriStar Summit, where caregivers quickly discovered she had suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. A brain aneurysm is a bulge in a weakened blood vessel in the brain. Many cause no symptoms, but when one ruptures, it can lead to life-threatening bleeding and requires immediate treatment.
“They took me straight back for a CT scan and quickly got me connected with the specialists I needed,” Lane said. “They are heroes and the reason I’m here today.”
Once the source of the bleeding was identified, physicians acted quickly. Lane underwent a procedure to stop the bleeding and help prevent another rupture. The procedure saved her life, but her recovery was only beginning.
Lane spent months in the intensive care unit before transitioning to rehabilitation. The road back was long and difficult, physically, mentally and emotionally. Through each step, she said the caregivers at TriStar Summit stood beside her.
“I had incredible nurses and caregivers,” Lane said. “They were always checking on me, encouraging me and helping me through recovery one day at a time.”
As she recovered, Lane began to understand just how much her life and changed. Today, she is focused on making the most of each day. She is working her way through a bucket list, choosing gratitude over worry and holding tightly to the relationships formed during one of the hardest seasons of her life.
Her annual visits include Dr. Turner, the ER physician who helped treat her; Brad, one of the first responders on the scene; the store cashier and manager who called for help; and members of the intensive care and rehabilitation teams who supported her recovery.
Lane’s story is about more than survival. It is about gratitude and the connections formed between patients and caregivers. Her aneurysm changed the course of her life, but it also gave her an appreciation for every day that followed and for every person who helped make those days possible.