Intermountain Health St. Vincent Stroke Survivor Champions Community Health Through His Art

Bob Tambo, a Billings, Mont. artist, has supported the local Heart and Sole Race for the last decade. But after recovering from a stroke last February, this year’s event has a whole new meaning for him.

The annual Heart and Sole Race, a Father’s Day weekend tradition presented by Intermountain Health, will take place on June 14, supporting the Billings Family YMCA and Billings TrailNet, two organizations dedicated to fostering a healthier Billings community.

Tambo has helped support the race for the past decade by designing the logo and race t-shirt as a principal at Rebel River Creative. In February, Tambo experienced a stroke and received exceptional care from caregivers from Intermountain Health to get him back to full health.

The morning of Tambo’s stroke started like any other, but he noticed subtle, concerning symptoms.

“I woke up feeling a little tired, and I noticed that my hand felt like it was going to sleep,” said Tambo. “When I went to the bathroom, I dropped something and when I tried to pick it up and I couldn’t open my hand, I said, ‘oh no,’ I better go to the doctor.”

At the Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital emergency department, doctors evaluated Tambo and confirmed that he was having a stroke.

The team at St. Vincent quickly administered stroke thrombolytic therapy, also known as clot-busting medication, which restores blood flow in the brain to reduce damage. The treatment must be administered within 4½ hours of stroke onset to give a patient the highest odds of achieving a good outcome. Tambo was fortunate to recognize his symptoms and take quick action.

“Had I waited any longer, it could have been a lot more serious,” said Tambo.

His symptoms began to resolve but he still had weakness in his right hand.

As an artist, recovering the movement in his hand was important for his work and quality of life. Beginning in the hospital and continuing at the Intermountain Health therapy clinic, Tambo worked with the team to regain his strength and movement.

“I went to rehab the next day and Will (Meredith), the occupational therapist, really helped me,” said Tambo.

He worked with Meredith for 12 weeks to regain his strength and ability.

As part of the therapy, Meredith encouraged Tambo to start a journal to work on his handwriting and sketching. Now at 90%, Tambo is grateful to his care team for their support.  To show his gratitude and share his progress, Tambo sketched a portrait of Meredith and presented it to him to say, ‘thank you’.

“Bob was an exceptional patient to work with. From the very beginning he did everything right, seeking emergency care immediately after symptom onset and fully committing to his outpatient therapy,” said Meredith. His consistent engagement diligence, and proactive approach were key factors in the remarkable progress he achieved.”

As he gets back to health and reflects on the upcoming Heart and Sole Race, Tambo is even more grateful and supports the community resources of the YMCA and TrailNet that provide access for the Billings community to stay healthy and get back to health.

Tambo’s connection to the YMCA runs deep, having worked there for 14 years in youth sports programs and art classes. “The YMCA is an invaluable resource,” Tambo said. “For families and the Billings community. I don’t think there’s anything comparable.”

As Tambo continues his recovery, he looks forward to supporting the Heart and Sole race this year and in the future and hopes to potentially walk in the race.

“This race is about more than just running; it’s about coming together as a community to support each other and create a healthier future for Billings,” said Tyler Wiltgen, executive director of the Intermountain Health St. Vincent Regional Hospital Foundation.

“To hear Bob’s story about the support he received from our Intermountain Health caregivers, it shows how closely connected we are in this community.  We are proud to get him back to health and proud to join him in supporting this important community event.”

The community is welcome to join Tambo, Intermountain Health, and many others from the Billings area for the Heart and Sole Race. Individuals and families can participate by running, walking, or volunteering.

For more information and to register for the race, visit https://heartandsolerace.org/.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.