When Anthony Jackson underwent gastric sleeve surgery in 2023, he hoped it would mark the beginning of a healthier future filled with more adventures and memories with his friends and family in the Rio Grande Valley.
Instead, an unexpected surgical complication threatened his life. Anthony spent weeks on a ventilator, followed by a long and difficult recovery. Although he survived the immediate crisis, recurring infections and pain led to more than nine hospitalizations over the next two years.
Meanwhile, life continued moving forward around him. Weddings, graduations and family milestones came and went. Anthony’s work eventually led him and his wife, Ofelia Jackson, to relocate to New Mexico. Yet despite countless appointments, procedures and hospital stays, his health was not fully improving.
“We kept faith but worried we were running out of options,” Anthony said.
Then, one of his physicians identified a possible cause that may have been overlooked: a gastric fistula, an abnormal opening that can develop after surgery, and lead to serious complications.
Recognizing that Anthony needed highly specialized care, his physician began calling hospitals across the country. Twenty-six calls passed without finding a hospital able to treat his complex condition.
Fortunately, phone call number 27 connected them with the advanced gastroenterology and endoscopy specialists at UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital.
Anthony was quickly flown from New Mexico to San Antonio, where Matheus Franco, MD, director of endoscopy at UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital, and Prabhleen Chahal, MD, chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition at UT Health San Antonio, assembled a multidisciplinary care team of interventional radiologists, anesthesiologists, nutritionists and other medical specialists. Together, they developed a personalized treatment plan to address Anthony’s fistula and help his body begin to heal.
Arriving at UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital brought Anthony and Ofelia something they had been searching for throughout their two-year journey: renewed hope. As the region’s only academic health center, UT Health San Antonio brings specialists from multiple disciplines together to care for patients with complex conditions. For Anthony, that meant access to advanced technology, research-informed therapies and a coordinated team working together on a treatment plan tailored for his unique needs.
Although Anthony and Ofelia were far from home and facing another hospital stay, they soon experienced the patient- and family-centered approach the hospital was designed to provide. They found themselves surrounded by people who made them feel safe, supported and genuinely cared for.
“Of course, my medical treatment has been incredible, but what really stands out is how much the people here truly care,” Anthony said. “Everyone, from the nurses to the surgery, radiology and anesthesiology teams, they all treated me and my wife like family.”
Throughout his treatment, Anthony became a familiar face around the hospital. His care team and even members from different departments followed his progress and shared in the excitement as he reached new milestones.
One of Anthony’s nurses, Amber Jackson, began calling him “Cousin.” Their shared last name inspired the nickname, but the family-like connection they formed during his stay is what made it stick.
After years of setbacks, moments that might otherwise seem small carried enormous meaning.
“I was so excited to tell him his diet had finally been upgraded,” Amber said with a smile. “He could even have macaroni and cheese if he wanted. It was the first real food he had been able to eat in a long time.”
For Anthony, being able to eat again was more than a change in diet. It was a sign that his body was recovering from the fistula and that he could soon return home to a healthier life.
That genuine care was echoed in the many thoughtful ways the hospital team supported Anthony and Ofelia throughout their stay.
Nurse Taylor arranged for her poodle, Chanelle, to visit Anthony for a playdate. Nurses Rihannon and Karol delivered a Mother’s Day care package for Ofelia, who rarely left Anthony’s side. Yet another nurse, after discovering that she and Ofelia shared a love of cooking, brought homemade meals for her to enjoy.
"It wasn’t just one person,” Anthony said. “It was everyone.”
For Ofelia, the hospital’s kindness provided care and comfort during a difficult chapter of their lives. She was treated not simply as a visitor, but as an important part of Anthony’s care and recovery.
The kindness they experienced made such an impact that, before leaving the hospital, Anthony and Ofelia brought a large “Thank You” cake for his unit. They also delivered cookies to the radiology, anesthesiology and surgical teams that had cared for him throughout his treatment.
“It was our way of thanking the many people who had helped transform a difficult medical journey into an experience defined by compassion, encouragement and hope.” Ofelia said.
“Compassionate, patient- and family-centered care is at the heart of our hospital’s culture,” said Jeff Flowers, vice president and chief executive officer of UT Health San Antonio Multispecialty and Research Hospital. “It’s how we live out our mission to deliver hope and healing to each patient and family we have the privilege to serve. And it is one reason our patients rank their experience with us among the top 1% of hospitals nationwide.”
As Anthony and Ofelia prepare to return home, they look forward to life’s simple joys: settling into their new home in New Mexico, growing a garden filled with fresh vegetables and herbs and sharing home-cooked meals with family and friends for years to come.
“I believe God led me here to heal,” Anthony said. “What I’ll remember most is the extraordinary compassion and kindness of all these professionals who treated us like family.”
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Part 2 Coming Soon
Anthony and Ofelia return to San Antonio for a follow-up visit. Learn how Anthony is doing today and hear from his medical team about the advanced technology, multidisciplinary collaboration and specialized expertise shaping his recovery.