Couple takes ‘victory lap’ at Grand Strand Medical Center more than 17 months after motorcycle crash left them in trauma unit

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — A couple was celebrated on Tuesday at Grand Strand Medical Center to show their progress after they were injured in a motorcycle crash last year.

Michael and Julie Koberger’s lives were forever changed on May 13, 2022. More than a year later, they returned to the place that saved their lives.

“Just have hope,” Michael Koberger said. “Yeah, I mean, that’s — never give up hope.”

The Kobergers nearly died while they were leaving bike week 2022. They spent months in the hospital fighting for their lives.

Grand Strand Medical Center took the couple on a “victory lap” to celebrate their healing and recovery journey.

“An opportunity to see them and connect with them and see how well they’ve healed and progressed,” said Aaron Worthley, the pediatric trauma program manager. “It just does wonders for us.”

One of the paramedics that was at the scene of the crash, Joshua Newton, joined the couple and shared what the moment meant to him.

“It’s actually a great feeling when I got the email from EMS division chief,” he said. “We don’t really get to do this very much. We don’t really have the greatest outcome with patients and for it to be a trauma patient that I know, I put my hands on and physically was able to fix, it feels great.”

Tears were shed and stories were shared as they walked through each room and floor they were treated in.

Their daughter, Sara, talked about how therapeutic this was for her.

“Closure and relief and a lot of relief that that chapter of my life being their caregiver and switching roles instead of being the child,” she said. “I was the caregiver and finally closing that and being back to normal.”

The Kobergers couldn’t help but say “thank you” to everyone who helped them along the way. Their perspective on life was forever changed.

“Yeah, I want to do more. I’d like to do more,” Michael Koberger said. “I’m not going to ride a bike anymore. My daughter said she’d take a baseball bat to it, but we both want to do more.”

The couple expressed how thankful they were to Grand Strand Medical Center.