DAYTON — Five local trauma survivors were honored Tuesday evening at the Miami Valley Hospital’s annual trauma survivor’s celebration.
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The celebration began at 6 p.m., and the five survivors were given the chance to reconnect with the people who saved their lives.
Ann Monnig is the Trauma Program Manager at the Miami Valley Hospital and she says this event recognized people who have been through traumatic events and survived to tell their stories.
“It really reaffirms why we do, what we do every day,” Monnig said.
One of the survivors who was honored was retired Clearcreek Township Police Officer Eric Ney.
Ney was shot while on duty responding to a domestic violence call.
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This happened on July 12, 2022.
Since then, Ney has been on the road to recovery, but he was very excited to see those caring for him at the hospital.
“I am so glad to be here and see everybody. I don’t remember anything, my memory is only at 13%, I don’t remember the three months I was in the hospital, I don’t remember a thing so I was looking forward to coming here tonight just so I could see all the doctors, nurses, and people that took care of me and just give them a big hug and thank them so much,” Ney said.
After he was shot a little over a year ago, Ney said he doesn’t remember anything that has happened since. But he does remember his life before the traumatic shooting.
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“I got shot on July 12, last year so since then I don’t remember anything. Before that, I remember everything before that. I remember my past at WHIO, I was support security at WHIO, 10 hours a shift, 10 hours a night while I was going through the police academy so it was a good time I loved it,” Ney said.
The amount of support that was present at the event helped the honorees remember how strong and resilient they were.
“I’m just so thankful for the night. I’ve already met 5 or 6 of the nurses that took care of me and I don’t remember any of them but I was able to give them a hug and just thank them. So hopefully the rest of them will be here tonight. They’re all supposed to be here… so I hope they are cause I want to give them that hug,” Ney said.
The night Ney was shot, police officers went to his home and brought his family to the hospital. Hospital staff then told them there was a high possibility he wouldn’t make it through the night.
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“Their job is just so important, what a great job they do and what they do for people… Look at the job they did. Fantastic job, saving people’s lives and my family is so much better for it,” Ney said.
Monnig said the patients always want the opportunity to thank the people who saved their lives, and this annual event makes for the perfect chance.
“It took a lot for them to recover they have so much strength and they want to share that story, so that other people may relate to that. It could possibly help someone else, and they also want to take time to thank their providers and caregivers who were either at the scene, at the hospital, and even after the hospital and the rehab facility or something like that,” Monnig said.
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