Couple hurt in motorcycle crash returns to thank Grand Strand doctors, nurses who saved them

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - In May 2022, Michael and Julie Koberger’s lives were upended after they got into a motorcycle crash.

They had just left Bike Week in Murrells Inlet when both of them suffered serious injuries that required stays at Grand Strand Medical Center.

On Tuesday, the Kobergers paid it forward and personally thanked members of the medical team that saved their lives.

GSMC calls visits like these “victory laps.” Staff members take former patients around the hospital, stopping to greet people who played a part in the patient’s recovery.

Then, at the end, patients get to ring the hospital’s victory bell, signifying their triumph over their injuries or illnesses.

Michael was in a coma for much of his time at Grand Strand Medical Center and doesn’t remember very much. However, he knows just how hard they worked, and is grateful for the chance to thank them.

“I’ve seen pictures of me laying in the ICU and steps throughout the stays at different places that I’ve been,” said Koberger. “I just wanted to thank the people.”

Michael and Julie both suffered serious injuries in the crash. Michael’s included a brain injury, broken bones, and even an injury to his spleen.

When he woke up from his coma, Michael said hope was scarce for him, but it was his family that got him through the hardest parts of his recovery.

“When I remember waking up, I didn’t feel like there was a lot of hope,” Michael Koberger said of his earliest memories after waking up. “But then, I had the family. I had my family here. That pushed me, and I appreciate a lot of it.”

Michael and Julie’s daughter, Sara, joined them for their victory lap. She was the couple’s primary caregiver after the accident.

For Sara, getting to come back to GSMC is exactly what she needed to move forward emotionally.

“It was extremely therapeutic for me, and closure to experience this with them,” she said. “I couldn’t do that before. It was just telling the story to Dad.”

Michael and Julie said they couldn’t have gotten through the ordeal without the help of both Sara and their son, who lives out of state.

Victory laps are beneficial for patients and their families in gaining a better understanding of their stay at GSMC, and for providing them closure. They’re also beneficial, though, for staff members at the hospital.

“When we have patients that sustain these kinds of injuries, to see them recover and come back, it’s huge for staff,” said Pediatric Trauma Program Manager Aaron Worthley. “It gives us a chance to reconnect with them when they’re standing upright. Most of the time when we see them, they’re horizontal.”

Worthley added that he and his colleagues don’t often get many updates, so it’s encouraging to have patients back in the hospital to say hello once they’ve recovered enough.

Michael and Julie are both still recovering from their injuries, but both are grateful to be alive. The accident, they said, has given them a fresh outlook on life.

“We both want to do more,” said Michael Koberger. “We want to get to the point where we can get out and see the world a little bit more.”

Julie agreed, noting that since they’re both still recovering, it may take some time.

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