When Keith Kennedy boarded a flight home to California with his wife after a relaxing vacation, he never imagined that a medical emergency would lead him to one of the most compassionate health care experiences of his life.
During a layover in St. Louis, Kennedy began experiencing severe urinary retention—a condition he was familiar with due to his enlarged prostate. The pain quickly escalated.
“I told my wife that I needed to seek medical attention because of the pain I was in,” Kennedy said. “I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived because I’m not from the city.”
He told her he would try to catch a later flight. The couple informed the gate agent, who immediately called paramedics.
Kennedy said he initially hoped the medical team could stabilize him so he could continue his travels, but the paramedics explained that he needed to be seen in an emergency room. Fortunately, SSM Health DePaul Hospital – St. Louis was just seven minutes away.
Arriving in a new city while in pain heightened Kennedy’s anxiety. But from the intake nurse to the attending physician, So Youn Kim-Shepherd, APRN-CNP, Kennedy was surrounded by a team of professionals who worked with urgency, empathy, and precision. They understood both his medical needs and his desire to return home quickly. Kennedy said they coordinated his care with remarkable efficiency.
Kennedy described the staff as “a concert of professionals” who treated him not just as a patient, but as a person. Their efforts helped relieve his pain and allowed him to continue his journey home.
As a husband, father, and grandfather, Kennedy expressed deep gratitude for the care he received.
“In these difficult days when people question science and medicine,” Kennedy said, “I remove my hat and say, ‘Thank you’ for all that you do.”
Thanks to the team at SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis, he is now on the road to recovery—grateful and surrounded by loved ones.
