Given a 1% chance to live, Jim fights back to health with Katrice’s help
Jim's road to recovery
When Jim Allsopp first heard Katrice Pruitt’s voice, he was lying in a hospital bed, weak and disoriented after nine days in a drug‑induced coma. He didn’t know what the next hours — or months — would hold.
What he did know, almost instantly, was that he wasn’t alone in his journey. The voice on the other end of the line would become one of his biggest advocates in a long, challenging road to recovery.
“This sweet voice came on and said, ‘Mr. Jim,’ and I'll never forget that,” Jim said. “It was like she was present there, standing next to me.”
Katrice, a nurse advocate through his UnitedHealthcare plan, was calling to check on him and offer support. Her role is to connect with members and help them navigate the healthcare system.
More than a year later, that first phone call grew into a bond that feels more like family than member and insurance provider support.
A 1% chance to survive
Jim’s health journey was grueling. He was diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis on both his heart valves and an autoimmune disorder, both highly critical and life-threatening. After an 11-hour open heart surgery, Jim was placed on ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) — one of the most intensive forms of life support. At the time, Jim was given a 1% chance of survival.
“I didn’t realize at that point, I’d be fighting for my life and that’s what I ended up doing,” Jim said.
After a few more surgeries, Jim was on his way back. He had to relearn basic skills, like walking and talking, and adjust to a new reality, physically and emotionally. Through it all, Katrice stayed close, checking in several times a week, answering questions, coordinating care and making sure Jim and his family understood what came next.
“When I heard what Mr. Jim had gone through, it was an overwhelming sense of emotions,” Katrice said. “That made me want to push and be that person in his corner, that supportive person for him.”
The long road ahead
Jim spent 61 days in hospitalization. Katrice helped refer Jim to in-network providers and physical therapists, made follow-up appointments, managed his prescriptions and made sure nothing fell through the cracks in his recovery. And more than that, she spent time to check on his overall well-being and make sure his family had support.
“Through Katrice, I felt like I had a partner in recovery this whole time,” Jim said.
Jim credits Katrice’s steady presence with helping him regain confidence and independence.
“I could focus on healing because I knew she was helping manage everything else,” he said.
The care Katrice provided was so meaningful, Jim now refers to her as his “guardian angel.”
“For Mr. Jim to call me or refer to me as his guardian angel is a humbling experience,” Katrice said. “To me, it reflects the power of showing up for someone consistently and being there for them when they need it most.”
‘More like family’
Today, Jim is healthier, hopeful and focused on making the most of his second chance.
His story was recognized at the American Heart Association’s 2026 Kentuckiana Heart Ball, hosted by UnitedHealthcare, where Katrice surprised him as a special guest to introduce him to the stage.
“All of a sudden I hear this voice that says ‘Mr. Jim,’ and I literally, I lost it really,” Jim said, recalling that evening. “It stopped me in my tracks.”
Little did Jim know, this was a surprise weeks in the making. For Katrice, it was a moment she’d been waiting for since that first phone call.
“That is a memory and a feeling that I would never forget and I'm so eternally grateful to UnitedHealthcare and the members of the American Heart Association for allowing that to happen,” she said.
He still calls Katrice regularly as he continues his recovery and she’s always happy to help. What began as a professional phone call has become something deeper — a partnership built on resilience, compassion and genuine care.
“I will say this — our connection is real,” Jim said. “It’s built on trust, and it’s built on survival. She made me feel like I was talking to family the whole time. I couldn’t have had a better advocate for me than Katrice.”
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