University of Rochester Medicine | Turning Tragedy into Triumph

It was a day like any other. John Kucko left home before dawn to make the 40 minute drive to Letchworth State Park, a drive he's made dozens of times. It's his favorite spot to take photos and video for his John Kucko Digital social media page, which has a monthly following of 60-70 million people from around the world. But this day would prove to be anything but ordinary. For over 30 years, John had been a working journalist, until he pivoted to focusing on growing his social media following by showcasing the beauty of the Finger Lakes region and around Upstate New York. It was in the midst of that work that he nearly lost his life, just four days before his youngest daughter's wedding. A harrowing drive home, a chance phone call that helped locate him, and ultimately a traumatic car accident would lead to him being rushed to Strong Memorial Hospital’s Kessler Burn & Trauma Center. It was there in a hospital bed, with his wife Charla and two daughters by his side, that he would receive life-changing news that would send him on a new journey, and present a fight to hold onto the things he holds closest—his family, his passion for storytelling, and his desire to lift up others, even when he's the one in need. It was though the life-saving care that he received in Strong's emergency department, and the coordination with neurosurgery, and with Wilmot Cancer Institute that John's fight for survival continues on, allowing him to bring his hopeful message to people around the world. And it's for patients like John that the University of Rochester has launched the largest capital project in the 175-year history. The Strong Expansion Project will modernize and grow the footprint for the emergency department, including the Kessler Burn & Trauma Center, as well as add more than 100 new private in-patient rooms with separate areas for both pediatric and adult psychiatric patients, and a new expanded cardiac unit and intensive care. This project will transform Strong Memorial Hospital, making it among the largest and most comprehensive medical centers in the country, allowing the spaces to match the expertise of the world-class providers working there, while still prioritizing the personalized patient-centered care that has made Strong a destination for our region. To learn more, visit: https://www.rochester.edu/adv/strong-expansion-project/