After stroke, nurse ends up in his own ICU

Donovan Cleveland had made a name for himself in Kalispell Regional Medical Center’s Intensive Care Unit. 

He was working on almost three years of experience in the ICU, working hard to save lives day in and day out.

It was shock, then — to Cleveland and his family — when he collapsed at a relative’s house April 26 and found himself being treated in that same Intensive Care Unit.

At just 30 years old, Cleveland had suffered a left middle cerebral artery occlusion — a stroke.

Christopher Cleveland, Donovan’s brother, recalled last week’s events.

“He bent over and became very dizzy,” he said. “After a few minutes he became unable to speak. He was rushed to the emergency room and put on a ‘clot buster’ equivalent. The people working on him were the same people who taught him.”

Donovan Cleveland, with a wife and newborn baby, had no major medical history like this. It was a mystery why the seemingly healthy man could be laid low from a stroke.

Cleveland family members came to Montana from their home state of Georgia to offer what help they could.

“Our mother is also a nurse so she flew out,” Christopher Cleveland said. “The hospital released him into our care and we were able to assess him at home. He had another headache and went right back to the hospital.”

Donovan Cleveland was in intensive care for a total of 36 hours. 

And although Donovan didn’t expect to experience treatment from his peers, Christopher said his brother was happy to be in safe hands.

“He said it was incredible and the treatment was everything you could hope for,” he said. “Although I don’t think he slept too much being in the same unit he works in.”

Initial testing found that he had been born with a “patent foramen ovale,” or a small hole in the heart that should have closed during infancy. It’s a common defect (25 percent of Americans have it), but it only becomes a problem in rare circumstances.

Unfortunately for the Cleveland family, a stroke is one of those times. 

“It doesn’t become an issue unless there is a clot,” Christopher said. 

Christopher is a veterinary researcher in Athens, Georgia, and said he was relaying what the doctors had told him about his brother’s condition.

While there is a potential for recurring strokes, the medicine Donovan is on will hopefully lessen the risk. Still, communicating and moving remain a challenge for him. 

The Clevelands started a fundraiser to help pay the costs of Donovan’s recovery. In less than a week, it has raised more than $6,000.

To donate to the family, visit www.giveforward.com and search for Donovan’s Stroke Recovery Fundraiser. 

Reporter Ryan Murray may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.