When you grow up in sports, you learn what it means to be part of a team, to show up for others in their highest highs and their lowest lows. For Brady, a young athlete and college student, and his mom, that idea took on a whole new meaning one unforgettable weekend.
It started with pain, sharp and sudden. “That night, we went home and got some sleep,” his mom recalled. “But the next morning, he woke up and said he felt fine.” Still, something didn’t sit right with her. “I told him, ‘No, we’re going. We’re not ignoring this.’”
They headed to urgent care near Jacksonville State University, where Brady is a student-athlete. Despite him feeling better, his blood pressure told a different story, 170 over 100. The receptionist took one look at his symptoms and urged them to get to an ER for a CT scan.
What happened next could have been a frustrating, confusing medical maze. But instead, it became a masterclass in compassion, professionalism, and humanity.
From the moment they arrived at RMC, kindness met them at every turn. “The woman at the ER front desk, she was an angel,” said Brady’s mom. “She saw us, and she saw him. She said, ‘We’ve got to get you back there and get you healthy.’”
They were ushered through vitals quickly, and staff made sure they were never left in the dark. “The way everyone treated not just us but even the other patients, it was beautiful. There was this elderly man waiting for his wife who had been brought in by ambulance. The way staff reassured him with patience and respect, it reminded me that compassion really is part of the culture here.”
Brady’s nurse, Robin, struck the perfect balance of no-nonsense and deep empathy. “She was an athlete too, you could tell,” his mom said. “I appreciate people who are direct, but she had a gentleness about her. I trusted her completely.”
Then there was the phlebotomist, jokingly dubbed “the vampire,” who brought humor and ease to an otherwise tense moment. “He talked about the science of blood while he was sticking Brady. It totally distracted him and made him laugh.”
The CT scan confirmed it, Brady’s appendix was leaking. “They told us, ‘He needs surgery. It’s not safe to wait.’” Brady wasn’t thrilled. He’s a starting athlete in season. “You work so hard to get where you are, and surgery throws everything off,” his mom said. “But his coaches, his dad, his brother, they all rallied around him. Everyone was praying. It was a team effort, and he felt that.”
Then came Dr. Keith Smith.
“He walked in and you could just feel it,” said Brady’s mom. “He had this calming presence, this genuine smile. He disarmed all of us with it. Brady said right away, ‘This is someone I trust.’”
“I thought Sara looked familiar—I’m more of NFL fan than college football.” Said Dr. Smith about Brody’s mother Sara, who is the first female NFL referee. “They both asked me what I played, and I did play football high school.”
From that point on, everything moved smoothly. A transport tech named Lewis refused to let Brady’s mom say goodbye at the ER doors. “Mama, you’re walking with us,” he said, and brought her upstairs. “It was such a small moment, but it meant so much. He treated us like family.”
Surgery was quick and clean. Dr. Smith later told them Brady had no infection, and everything looked good. He even called personally the next morning to check in. “That’s the kind of care you don’t expect anymore, but it’s what we got from every single person.”
Brady was back home that evening the same day. By morning, he was feeling great and even asked to ride along for coffee. “He only took one pain pill. That’s it. He was back to himself so fast.”
“I just got off the phone with him.” Dr. Keith Smith said after checking with Brady. “He says he’s doing great.”
For Brady and his mom, this wasn’t just about a successful surgery. It was about feeling seen, heard, and cared for. “As a mom, you walk in scared. And then you realize, you’re not alone. They’ve got you. It felt like a team.”