How highly coordinated care helped turn a life-altering fall into a life full of meaning
By Timothy Adams, Vitals contributor
In 1991, Bill Bagnani traded the hustle of Silicon Valley for the serenity of wine country, taking a job as an assistant winemaker at Jordan Vineyard and Winery in Healdsburg, Calif. Life felt promising until a tragic accident changed everything
Bill Bagnani
While working on an elevated catwalk, Bagnani slipped on water and fell 12 feet onto a concrete floor. The impact broke his neck and damaged his spinal cord, leaving him with quadriplegia, a symptom of paralysis that affects a person’s limbs and body from the neck down. Bagnani couldn’t then imagine what his future would hold. Dreams like walking a daughter down the aisle seemed impossible.
Thirty-four years later, Bagnani, who is 70 and living in Geyserville, experienced a milestone that filled his heart with joy. Though he never had children of his own, Naomi Bagnani Abla, the daughter of his former caretaker, who has for years lovingly called him “Uncle Bill,” asked him to walk her down the aisle. For Bagnani, this was a dream come true.
“I never thought I’d adopt a daughter,” Bagnani said. “When Naomi told me she wanted me to walk her down the aisle at her wedding, I was like, ‘Oh my God! That’s Fantastic.’”
Bill gets around on his motorized wheelchair
Bagnani’s journey hasn’t been easy. In addition to quadriplegia, he lives with a tracheostomy and requires highly specialized, coordinated care. His survival and quality of life are possible thanks to a dedicated team of specialists across Sutter Health, including Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods, Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Sutter West Bay Medical Group.
“As a patient with multiple complex conditions, Bill requires a large, synchronized team to keep him healthy,” explained Dr. Daniel Brenner, a SMRG cardiologist. “Bill’s case is a perfect example of Sutter’s ‘Power of One’ and how exceptional care happens when multiple physicians work together as a team.”
The Power of One philosophy at Sutter means treating patients collectively, ensuring every specialist is interconnected and involved in all aspects of a patient’s care. For Bagnani, this collaboration has proven lifesaving.
Bill Bagnani’s care team includes board-certified physicians from specialty groups across Sutter Health.
“My doctors are unbelievable,” Bagnani said. “The nurses, the entire staff – they’re all great! They’re keeping me alive.”
Reflecting on his journey, Bagnani feels grateful. Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I’ve been,” he said. “I could’ve died in 1991, and a number of times since. But I didn’t. And my life has been really rewarding.”
Watch Bill’s story.
