NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Staff Celebrate Patient Rohmearo McFarlane and His Long Road to Recovery

NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx Staff Celebrate Patient Rohmearo McFarlane and His Long Road to Recovery

After sustaining several gunshot wounds years earlier, McFarlane regained his sight and use of his right hand thanks to the medical team at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx.

Sep 10, 2025

Nearly four years since he first entered the doors of NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, patient Rohmearo McFarlane is amazed at how far he has come, both medically and personally. Back in July of 2021, he was recovering from a traumatic injury when he slipped in the bathroom and was rushed to North Central Bronx Hospital.

McFarlane was initially injured in November 2020, back in his home country of Jamaica. He was en route to paint a mural in another part of town in Kingston, Jamaica when he was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight. He sustained gunshot wounds to his face, abdomen, arms, and back, with shrapnel fragments hitting his eye, wrist, elbow, and other areas. He spent 21 days in the hospital receiving emergency surgery and inpatient care. As he was right-side dominant, the injuries, in addition to his impaired vision through his eye injury, left him unable to use his right arm and, thus, unable to resume his career as a painter.

When he was released, he was without full use of one of his arms, had blurred vision, and had to wear a colostomy bag. Still recovering from his injuries, he decided to temporarily relocate to the Bronx to be closer to his family, who could assist in his care. As he was showering one day in July 2021, he slipped and fell, causing injury to his abdomen and colostomy bag. His aunt urged him to go to the local emergency room at North Central Bronx Hospital. Upon arrival, it was clear that the extent of McFarlane's injuries would require multiple surgeries and extensive care. He was taken up to meet with surgeons to consult on the comprehensive care he would need to recover.

After initial treatment, the first specialist to examine him was Dr. Moshe Szlechter, an ophthalmologist at Jacobi Hospital. Dr. Szlechter determined that McFarlane had metal in his left eye that was causing a cataract as well as intraocular inflammation, both contributing to his diminished vision. Dr. Szlechter undertook two surgeries, the first cataract surgery with an intraocular lens implant to help improve his vision, and the second was to remove the bullet fragment from inside his eyeball. As a result of both operations, McFarlane's vision was fully restored.

After completing his eye surgeries, McFarlane visited Dr. John McNelis, Chair of Surgery at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx, whom he had seen during his initial hospital visit. Dr. McNelis shared with him that his colostomy bag posed a potential danger for infection and that, with another operation, it may not be needed. McFarlane then allowed Dr. McNelis to complete an additional operation on his abdominal area, tightening the abdominal wall, connecting his colon, and repairing his intestine, making the colostomy bag unnecessary. Finally, a year later, Dr. McNelis used the DaVinci Surgical Robot to repair McFarlane's complex hernia and make additional repairs to his abdominal wall.

During the surgeries, McFarlane's medical team recommended intensive physical therapy to help in his recovery. As an artist, McFarlane had always been right-side dominant, and his injuries had hindered his ability to practice his craft. After a nerve conduction study to assess the functioning of his muscles and pathways, it was recommended that he undergo two surgeries on his elbow, wrist, and hand.

These two surgeries were led by Dr. Laurie Hirsh, an orthopedic hand surgeon at Jacobi Hospital, in August 2022 and July 2023, respectively. In the first surgery, she removed shrapnel and past prominent hardware from his right elbow, enabling him to gain further elbow motion. Hirsh also removed bullet fragments and hardware from his head and upper extremities. In the second surgery, Dr. Hirsh undertook a tendon transfer to restore his thumb and fingers' ability to extend, rerouting tendons that typically aid the wrist to instead power tendons that straighten the fingers and thumb.

After these latest surgeries, McFarlane regained his ability to paint with his right hand again and resumed all prior activities, including lifting weights and exercising. Amazingly and unexpectedly, during his recovery, he became proficient in painting with his left hand as well.

As a token of his appreciation to his medical team, McFarlane painted portraits of Drs. Szlechter, McNelis, and Hirsh.

"Jacobi is an amazing place, not only are the doctors great, but they are great for being caring people who looked out for me as I continued on my recovery process," said patient Rohmearo McFarlane. "Recovery is a constant process; you have to push past the pain. I'm always working on my physical therapy, and my transformation is still ongoing."

"Rohmearo is a kind person who had his entire life upended in an instant," said Dr. Szlechter. "His vision was essential not only to his life and livelihood, but it's also essential to pursue his passion. I'm thrilled the operations were such a success, so he can pursue what he loves to do."

"Situations like this renew your faith in people. When you see what people face and the odds they overcome, it's easy to get cynical in today's world, but Rohmearo and his family were inspirational," said Dr. McNelis. "His portrait will hang in my office as long as I'm here."

"It is gratifying to help restore Rohmearo's ability to pursue his passion - painting. To see his artwork now after his surgeries shows the important impact we as physicians can have in healing our patients," said Dr. Hirsh.

If you or a loved one are suffering and potentially in need of surgical care, please call us at (718) 918-5000.

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CONTACT: John Doyle, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi | North Central Bronx, 718-918-4055, 917-553-4642

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About NYC Health + Hospitals/JacobiNYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi is a 457-bed teaching hospital affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The facility has earned numerous Center of Excellence designations, accreditation, and recognition for its renowned Level 1 Trauma Center, Burn Center, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, regional Stroke Center, Snakebite Treatment Center, Breast Health Center, Bariatric Surgery Center, and Cancer Service. The facility also offers the region's only multi-person hyperbaric chamber, allowing up to nine patients to dive together at one time. Jacobi Hospital's Ambulatory Care Pavilion is a stunning complement to its inpatient acute care, allowing staff to provide patients with high-quality service in a modern, state-of-the-art environment. For more information visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/jacobi.

About NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx

NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx is a member facility of the NYC Health + Hospitals system, one of eleven acute care facilities within the City of New York. A 215-bed community hospital, North Central Bronx Hospital specializes in women's and children's services. It also provides Behavioral Health acute and ambulatory care. Its busy outpatient department has led the way in community-based care delivered in a compassionate and culturally-appropriate manner. Its Labor and Delivery service safely brings more than 1,000 babies into the world each year. North Central Bronx Hospital is committed to providing safe, high-quality medical care for any and all in need. For more information visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/northcentralbronx.

About NYC Health + HospitalsNYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.