Mammoth In Their Hearts

Steve and Cindy's Story

The whole hospital was wonderful, the case workers even helped us get a hotel room when the house rental we had been in wasn’t available for us while Steve had his surgery.

Everybody says if you have a break, get the care in Mammoth.

-Cindy Harris

Steve and Cindy Harris truly have Mammoth in their hearts—they met in Mammoth 40 years ago at Rafter’s restaurant, went skiing together the next day, and the rest is history.

In February 2024, the Harrises were celebrating Steve’s 70th birthday with their two adult children in Mammoth. It was a wonderful trip, says Cindy, the whole family together in one of their favorite places in the world. Cindy and her daughter stopped at The Mill for a snack and Steve decided to do “one more run” off Chair 3.

“Steve hit a patch of unforgiving ice on Patrolmen’s and went flying,” Cindy recalls several months after the incident. “Luckily, the head of ski patrol was skiing right behind him.” Steve had sustained a broken clavicle and a tibial plateau fracture (a common ski boot injury).

Steve made his way to the Mammoth Hospital emergency room, where Cindy joined him.

“In walks this doctor with long curly hair, ski pants, and a goggle tan,” says Cindy. It was Dr. Christopher Urband, the orthopedic surgeon on call that day.

“We had the decision to go home for surgery or to have it done in Mammoth,” says Cindy. “My brother, who is an avid skier, said ‘You should absolutely get the surgery done at Mammoth Hospital.’” 

“The whole hospital was wonderful, the case workers even helped us get a hotel room when the house rental we had been in wasn’t available for us while Steve had his surgery,” says Cindy.

The Harrises made a gift to the Mammoth Hospital Foundation in May 2024 in honor of Dr. Urband and the rest of their caregivers.

“Everybody says if you have a break, get the care in Mammoth,” says Cindy. “Twenty stars!”