Johnna Kelly, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital to raise awareness for men's health at Chicago Bulls game
DOWNERS GROVE - A local college student who underwent brain surgery was among a group of Advocate Health Care patients who were special guests of the health system at a recent Chicago Bulls game.
Aurora University basketball player Marquis Howard suffered from a brain aneurysm during practice in December 2015. The following day, Dr. Hamad Farhat, a neurosurgeon at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, performed surgery on Howard's brain to repair the weak spot in the artery that hemorrhaged. Howard has since recovered and is back to playing college basketball.
The Nov. 30 Bulls game provided an opportunity for both Howard and Dr. Farhat to reconnect a year after the surgery. Dr. Farhat refers to Howard as his "miracle patient."
The outing was designed to encourage men to be more proactive about their own health and wellness and to engage and educate the general public around common men's health issues including heart disease, male cancers and mental health. A national movement is underway to increase early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment, and to draw attention to men's health during the month of November.
In sync with the 'No-Shave November' aka 'Movember' movement in which men grow out their facial hair to raise awareness, the first ten thousand fans who entered the stadium received a Chia Pet in the likeness of Nikola Mirotic, the Bulls power forward well-known for his facial hair.
Follow Advocate Health Care on Facebook or @AdvocateHealth on Instagram and Twitter to see photos from the game.