Arlan Koizumi thought he had a cold, maybe bronchitis. But the otherwise healthy young man from Waikele couldn’t fall asleep. Eventually, he asked his mother to drive him to the hospital.

The 31-year-old was fortunate that Kapi‘olani Medical Center at Pali Momi is close to home, serving the Leeward community for 20 years. Because what Arlan had was sepsis, a bacterial infection in his blood – and it quickly spread to his organs. Within hours, his blood pressure dropped, he became septic, and it was hard to breathe. His body was shutting down.

But in Pali Momi’s Intensive Care Unit, doctors and nurses worked with him constantly. Eventually, his body began to respond to treatments. He spent nearly a month hospitalized. Today, Arlan has made a full recovery.

“People there gave us so much support,” say his parents. “Pali Momi is a great place to be if you need that kind of service and help.”

“Knowing I can make a difference in people’s lives, that’s why I chose medicine,” adds Dr. Ky Le.