36 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • NOVEMBER 7, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Photo courtesy of Northwell Health
Far Rockaway’s Dominique Strickland survived a harrowing medical condition. She was reunited with her daughter and went to work for Northwell Health.
Far Rockaway woman beats life-threatening
disease and becomes healthcare professional
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A mother from Far Rockaway recently
thanked the medical staff who not only
saved her life but provided the incentive
for a new career in healthcare.
During an emotional ceremony held at
Long Island Jewish Forest Hill, Dominique
Strickland, 34, praised the medical professionals
at Northwell Health as she completed
her fi rst year of service with the
health system. It was the same team of
doctors and nurses who treated her when
she was brought to LIJ Forest Hills in 2017
with a rare, life-threatening condition.
An injection of amoxicillin for a
sore throat at a local healthcare facility
plunged Strickland into the medical odyssey.
Within hours the young mom had a
rash over most of her body and was spiking
with a high fever.
Her reaction would land her in the
intensive care unit at the hospital.
Strickland was diagnosed with Stevens-
Johnson syndrome, a rare and sometimes
fatal condition that can be triggered by
an infection or a reaction to medication
causing serious and painful rashes,
blisters and sores on mucous membranes.
In Strickland’s case, rashes covered 80
percent of her body causing her genitals,
mouth and eyes to repeatedly glue
shut. Blisters caused the top layer of her
skin to die and shed, falling off in sheets.
Before she was transferred to the burn
unit of Staten Island University Hospital,
Strickland spent a week in the intensive
care unit of LIF Forest Hills, where one of
the bright spots were musical renditions
delivered by ICU nurse Starr Lentz.
“When I couldn’t see, I didn’t know
who was touching and caring for me,”
Strickland said. “But when every night
when I would hear the ICU door open
and her singing ‘Twinkle twinkle little
star,’ I knew exactly who was in the room
with me and how well I was being taken
care of.”
With her face and body mangled with
blisters and bandages, Strickland worried
that her 4-year-old daughter would
not recognize her but Lentz quelled those
fears.
“Starr kept telling me a child sees nothing
but love,” Strickland said. “She has no
idea the impact she’s had on me.”
When she felt like giving up because the
pain was so unbearable, Lentz prayed and
talked with Strickland and encouraged
her to eat so that she could keep fi ghting
her condition.
“She needed someone to hug her and
tell her everything was going to be OK,”
Lentz said. “I treated Dominique like I
treat all of my patients, like I’d like if I was
the patient in the hospital bed.”
Joining the celebration was Nariss
Joyner, MD, an emergency medicine physician
in the LIJFH emergency department
who was the fi rst doctor to treat
Strickland.
“Allergic reactions don’t always get to
that point, but this was an example of
a severe and life-threatening reaction,”
Joyner said. “I’m so glad to be here today
and see how well Dominique has healed
and to know that the quality of care she
received with us played a role in her
deciding to join Northwell.”
During her weeklong stay, Strickland
received local wound care, antibiotics and
pain management. She also had hydrotherapy
treatment, which involves using
a pressurized water system to wash away
dead skin and bacteria to minimize her
risk of infection. Strickland’s ordeal has
left her with lingering eff ects. Her bottom
eyelashes now grow upward instead
of downward requiring her to have them
removed by laser every six months to prevent
scratches to her eyes.
She no longer has tear ducts; she has
developed astigmatism in both eyes and
must wear sunglasses whenever she’s outdoors.
Strickland has extensive tissue scarring.
She lost her fi ngernails and toenails, only
her fi ngernails have grown back.
She was so impressed with the care
she received at both Northwell hospitals
Strickland took a job as an administrative
supervisor with medical Specialties
at Glen Oaks, a Northwell internal medical
practice.
“At fi rst, I was turned away from another
facility because they didn’t know what
to do with me. But, when I came here
they took me under their wing and they
actually took care of me,” Strickland said.
“Because everyone did such an amazing
job taking care of me so well, I knew
I wanted to be part of such an amazing
team. And that’s exactly why I’m here
today.”
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