Partners in Health

DEBRA OWENS LEADS A BUSY LIFE. Right before Easter last year, Owens—a mother, wife, nurse practitioner, and manager of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at UVA Children’s Hospital—was responsible for caring for many people. Then she developed a severe headache and noticed a drooping of her right eyelid.

Owens turned to her colleagues at UVA for help and learned that the carotid artery in her neck, one of the main vessels supplying blood and oxygen to the brain, was dissected and almost completely blocked. Carotid artery dissection is a major cause of stroke in children and young to middle-aged adults. Thanks to the early diagnosis and treatment she received at UVA, Owens is on the path to full recovery and now serves as the director of UVA Children’s Hospital and Women’s Services.

Owens wanted to do something to show her gratitude for the exceptional care she received — and she wanted to help the next patient. She turned to UVA Health System’s new social giving platform, Get Involved, to help plan an event that would support healthy lifestyles and raise awareness for carotid artery dissection and young stroke.

“I love spin classes,” she explains, “and I thought that we could partner with a gym in Richmond to support lifesaving research in UVA’s Stroke Center. I was able to combine something that I was active in with a cause that’s close to my heart.”

Every day hundreds of people like Owens see a need at UVA and seek to fill it. They support our efforts by outright gifts to programs, memorial gifts to honor a loved one or caregiver, or by hosting or participating in events that advance our mission.

For individuals like Deb Owens, giving something back is especially meaningful. For UVA, strong community support helps ensure that state-of-the-art, comprehensive care is always available—whenever you need it.