Mandy O'Donnell

Following a major bicycle accident in Croatia this past May, I sustained two fractured cervical discs, a severe concussion, and multiple facial lacerations. Upon returning to NYC, I was fortunate to receive an exceptional trifecta of care at HSS, starting with Dr. Frank Cammisa for my disc fractures, and then the incredible team of Meghan Homoky (PT) and Dr. Kouros Emami (neuropsychologist) for managing my neck and concussion recovery.

While the cervical disc fractures healed straightforwardly, the concussion and neck area proved far more challenging. From our first sessions, both Dr. Emami and Meghan were thorough, compassionate, and highly knowledgeable. They took the time to fully understand and validate my symptoms, which affected nearly every aspect of my daily life and, at times, left me doubting a full recovery was possible. Just a few months ago, I couldn’t read at my usual pace, rollerblade around Central Park, or even tie my shoes without dizziness. The vertigo was particularly scary, and Meghan and Dr. Emami knew the solution was the Epley maneuver, a procedure that scared me almost as much as the vertigo itself. But Meghan was gentle and convincing, guiding me through it — and it worked. The vertigo is completely gone.

Dr. Emami’s encouragement also made a profound difference. He consistently pushed me a bit further than I thought possible, and he was right every time. I relied on Winston Churchill’s famous line, “If you’re going through hell, keep going,” and I couldn’t have asked for better allies than Meghan and Dr. Emami as I navigated that journey. Their tailored approach was nothing short of transformational.

Thanks to their expertise and support, I progressed beyond what I thought possible and am now fully back to my pre-accident activities. I’m back at work in Sports PR, speed-reading again, flying around Central Park on rollerblades, playing pickleball, traveling the world, and feeling very fortunate to be back in action!