Former Elginite, injured in hit-and-run, crosses the finish line with help from his doctor and wife

Eduardo "Eddie" Ramirez, with an assist from his wife, Alicia, and his primary care physician, Dr. "Ric" Saguil, participated in the two-mile walk of the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago.

While this may not seem like a feat to the average runner, his participation was a positive sign of what's to come for Eddie who hopes to walk soon. While not a runner or full-fledged walker this time around, Eddie was pushed the entire span of the race in a wheelchair by Dr. Ric. He then surprised everyone by walking a few shaky steps across the finish line with his wife, Alicia.

Thanks to Eddie's big smile, positive outlook and his physicians' expertise, he hopes to be walking in time for next year's Shamrock Shuffle.

On April 2, 2017, Eddie was picking up house locks from Home Depot and heading to his Elgin home when a car ran him off the road and Eddie became victim of a hit-and-run accident.

Thankfully, he had his motorcycle helmet and proper gear on, but it could not protect him from sustaining serious injuries: bruised lung, concussion, and two crushed legs. Eddie was flown to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, because of its orthopedic expertise, to try and save his legs.

Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Evan Dougherty was his physician over the course of the next two years.

Due to the accident, Eddie had his left leg amputated twice and 6-7 surgeries on his right leg which now consists of a steel rod in place of a tibia and a steel plate.

Eddie's primary care physician was Dr. Enrique "Ric" Saguil, with Advocate Medical Group in Bartlett. When Eddie met with Dr. Ric after his accident he had a health goal already in mind.

"I needed to get off my pain pills," says Eddie, "These were hard-core pills which I needed after my accident to get through, but they made me feel loopy, out of it, and not me. I am the guy who always has a smile on my face."

Dr. Ric was able to help him carefully wean off the pain medications to alternatives and keeping him healthy via eating well, using supplements where necessary, and teaching him how to use an upper body routine to keep him healthy while in a wheelchair in between his various surgeries and more recently two bone grafts. He had just finished one surgery the month before the race.

Eddie, who now lives in Rockford, has a new prosthetic for his left leg, his legs hurt less, and he can now stand on his legs 50/50 holding onto a walker.

"Eddie's next goal is to walk, which is going to happen this year," says Dr. Ric. "He has been going to physical therapy and he has a great outlook on life. He is always smiling and is an encouragement to other patients, which is why I said I would push him in his wheelchair at the Shamrock Shuffle."

Eddie's advice for others who have been in a serious accident?

"Talk to someone. Don't go through it alone which is a darker path. Even if you don't know what to say or it goes sideways get it out as you will get better about explaining what is going on with you the more you share."

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About Advocate Health Care

Advocate Health Care is the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest health care providers in the Midwest. A national leader in population health management, Advocate is one of the largest Accountable Care Organizations in the country. Advocate operates nearly 400 sites of care and 12 hospitals, including three of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals, the state's largest integrated children's network, five Level I trauma centers (the state's highest designation in trauma care), three Level II trauma centers, one of the area's largest home health and hospice companies and one of the region's largest medical groups. Advocate Health Care trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a nonprofit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $692 million in charitable care and services to communities across the Chicago area and Central Illinois in 2016.