May is National Stroke Awareness Month. This awareness month took on a new meaning for Dawson Hooftallen, a 16-year-old from Austin, PA. His beloved grandmother, Victoria M. “Vicki” Setzer, suffered a stroke, and in January 2023, spent her final days at UPMC Cole. Dawson sold stroke awareness t-shirts and recently made a $300 donation to the Cole Foundation with the proceeds from the t-shirts.
The family of Vicki presented the donation to the 3rd-floor providers and staff at UPMC Cole as a token of their appreciation for the compassion, love, and dedication they provided for the family. Rhoda Hooftallen, Vicki’s daughter stated, “Everyone on this floor had such a huge impact on our family. They showed us love on the worst days of our lives. We will forever be thankful for every single one of them.” Dr. Andrew Kayes got to hear firsthand the impact he had on this family. He humbly accepted a hug from them and generously matched their donation in memory of Vicki.
On behalf of the Cole Foundation and UPMC Cole, we would like to thank the Setzer and Hooftallen families for honoring the providers and staff along with your commitment to raising stroke awareness to our local community.