Top 10 Most-Read Hope & Healing Stories of 2024

In 2024, our blog highlighted the power of hope and healing through incredible patient stories and pushed for improved health through better awareness. These posts of the year offer a snapshot of what resonated most with our readers.
1. On Track for Greatness: How Gators, UF Health Paved the Way for Grant Holloway
UF Health and the Gators have played a crucial role in Grant Holloway's journey to winning gold in Paris and cementing himself as the best hurdler on the planet. With their help, Grant has produced a career filled with redemption, resilience, and remarkable achievements.
2. Amazing Grace: Paratriathlete Grace Norman’s Pursuit of Gold With Help From UF Health
Despite her challenges, two-time Paralympic gold medalist Grace Norman has grown through those challenges and emerged stronger on the other side. Born with an amniotic band disorder that resulted in the loss of her left foot and right big toe, she is now a modern-day Ironwoman.
3. UF Health Helps Team USA Taekwondo Athlete Faith Dillon Get Back to Fighting Shape
Faith Dillon, a Team USA Taekwondo athlete, fractured the metacarpal bone of her ring finger in January 2024. With little time left until the big stage in Paris, she was referred to UF Health, which helped her with a relatively new surgical technique that allowed for a speedy return to taekwondo.
4. Growing Awareness Between Alcohol and Cancer Risk
While it’s common knowledge that smoking increases cancer risk, many don’t realize that alcohol can have similar dangers. A recent study found that over 50% of Americans are unaware that drinking alcohol raises the risk of cancer.
5. Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit Comes to UF Health Surgeon’s Rescue
Time is crucial when facing a stroke. UF Health orthopaedic surgeon Paul Dell's experience shines a light on the importance of quick action and leading-edge health care. Struck by a sudden stroke, UF Health's Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit arrived at his doorstep within minutes, providing critical, lifesaving care right in his driveway.
6. Students Recognized for Developing 'ICUSpeak' App Alongside UF Health and Its Patients
After Freddie Taylor faced communication barriers post-surgery, two incredible students, Aarav and Aarin Dave, stepped up to make a difference. Their invention, the ICUSpeak app, shows the power of empathy and innovation in health care.
7. Becoming a Living Kidney Donor: 6 Things to Know About the Process
Did you know that living kidney donors are crucial in saving lives? In 2023, UF Health performed 20 living kidney transplants, part of the 6,900 nationwide. Donating a kidney can drastically reduce a recipient's wait time and improve their quality of life.
8. A Day in the Life of an Occupational Therapist
Kelly Beuttenmuller, MS, OTR/L, CNT, has been an occupational therapist for 19 years, five of those at UF Health. Specializing in infant feeding and development, Kelly is a familiar face down the halls of the pediatric units in UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at a day in her life.
9. The Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screening: How Early Detection Saves Lives
Colorectal cancer ranks as the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Referred to as a “silent killer” due to its lack of symptoms, colorectal cancer often is not diagnosed until it has progressed to a later stage, making treatment difficult. Learn how spotting it early can save lives.
10. UF Health Traumatic Brain Injury Expertise Used on Frontlines in Ukraine
A remarkable story from the frontlines in Ukraine: Chris Robinson, DO, of UF Health conducted a webinar on traumatic brain injury, which ended up saving a soldier’s life within 48 hours. Ukrainian medics, armed with newfound knowledge from the webinar, were able to provide critical care on the battlefield that made all the difference.