Christina Napoli enjoyed traveling to Iceland with her family after her surgery and recovery. She is pictured here with her daughter, Amy, who was her primary caretaker at home after her surgery.
Readington resident, Christina Napoli has a lot to be thankful for.
On Jan. 27, 2023, Napoli was heading to work as a Preschool teacher when she slipped on black ice and hit her head. Not realizing the severity of her injuries, she cleaned up a cut above her eye and continued to start her day opening up her Preschool.
“When I got to work, my colleagues didn’t think I looked good and my headache started getting worse, so my director drove me to Hunterdon Medical Center’s Emergency Department,” Napoli said.
She doesn’t remember a lot after arriving at the hospital. Neurosurgeon Richard Buonocore, M.D. remembers Napoli well. “Christina had the most severe brain bleed I have seen. We rushed her to the Operating Room and performed an emergency craniotomy to allow me to access the brain and repair the bleed.”
A craniotomy is a surgical procedure in which a small hole is made in the skull to access the brain. “If Christina did not have this procedure at Hunterdon Medical Center and had to be transported to another facility, she would not be alive today,” Dr. Buonocore said.
After the surgery, Napoli was able to talk and even enjoyed a chopped salmon burger. “I remember Dr. Buonocore was amazed that I was eating and talking so quickly. Everyone that cared for me at Hunterdon Medical Center was so kind and treated me as if I were part of their family,” she said.
Napoli had a long road to recovery and strong family support to help her at home as she navigated rehab with physical and occupational therapy each day. “I was back to work five weeks after my surgery with my walker in hand. Coming back to teach my four-year-olds was something I needed to help in my recovery,” she said.
It has been nearly two years since Napoli’s fall and she is thankful and prays for Dr. Buonocore every day. “For the past couple of years, I often send Dr. Buonocore pictures of places I have been able to visit, weddings I attended, family I get to spend time with and tell him that it is because of him I get to experience all these things.”
Dr. Buonocore is a neurosurgeon with a special interest in stereotactic radiosurgery. He joined Neurosurgical Associates of Central Jersey in 2019. Dr. Buonocore is affiliated with Hunterdon Medical Center. To learn more, visit www.hunterdonhealth.org.