CRAIG HOSPITAL FOUNDATION FALL 2023 NEWSLETTER
SHOWING UP WITH COURAGE EACH AND EVERY DAY On December 8, 2022, with his wife by his side, Scott Muirhead walked out of Craig Hospital. His entire care team cheering him on. “It was a total shock seeing everybody outside to cheer me on, even my doctor,” Scott explains. “It was an intense experience that I’ll never ever forget. It was truly motivating and absolutely amazing.” What’s even more amazing is that the 47-yearold pilot arrived at Craig Hospital just eight weeks earlier—having survived a helicopter crash in Fresno, California. Mechanical Failure On a fateful Saturday morning in early October, Scott was performing a maintenance check flight. He took off from the Fresno Yosemite Airport. He was making a left turn when the helicopter lost tail rotor control (the device that holds the aircraft straight), causing the helicopter to spiral uncontrollably. “The helicopter was spinning as I desperately tried to avoid houses, cars and people,” he recalls. “I ended up in a residential neighborhood, crash landing in somebody’s front yard.” Scott and his colleague rushed to get out of the destroyed helicopter. “We knew we had to exit quickly in case the debris caught fire,” he says. “But when I reached over to unbuckle my seatbelt, I realized that I couldn’t move my legs.”
A T12 Burst Fracture At Fresno Community Regional Hospital, Scott remembers meeting the chief neurosurgeon, who informed him that he would be performing immediate surgery on his back. Scott’s surgery recovery in Fresno took eight days. During that time, his family needed to figure out the next step in his rehab process. “My mother-in-law worked as a nurse for more than 40 years and had recommended Craig to many of her patients,” Scott explains. “It was a simple choice for me—Craig was the best place to go. I needed to be there.” Diving Right In “When I arrived at Craig, I was a little nervous because I had heard about the crazy inpatient schedule—with six to eight hours of therapy each day,” he says. “However, I was also excited. I wondered if I’d be able to do this. At the time, I wasn’t really moving much, maybe a little movement in my big left toe. I had sensation in my legs, but no real functionality. I couldn’t roll myself right or left. I couldn’t do anything on my own, and I needed help with everything. But I felt hopeful because the nurses, doctors and therapists were all so incredible.” said Scott Christina, Scott’s wife, added “They all made me feel like it was going to be okay. We were going to get through this. It felt like a really safe place to land. I was amazed by all of the warmth because I probably had some lingering medical trauma from
our experience in California. But to come to Craig and be met by strangers who wanted to go out of their way to help felt like a safe place.” Scott said, “I didn’t have any many concerns. I was happy to land at Craig. I felt like I could breathe. I knew amazing things were going to happen here.” Scott took part in the donor-funded therapeutic recreation, adaptive driving and horticulture programs. He learned how to drive a car using hand controls and practiced navigating his wheelchair at the Denver airport, a Broncos game and Target. “I spent a lot of time working on curbs and sidewalks with my wheelchair,” he says. “Just interacting with the public and getting used to doing things in a different way is important because you’re not going to stay at Craig forever.” Treating the Whole Person and Family Craig’s interdisciplinary team approach to care is made up of numerous specialists at different stages of the recovery journey, including doctors, nurses, therapists and a clinical care manager (CCM). These managers provide much-needed assistance in patient/family counseling, accessing benefits, planning for the return home, and advocacy.
Home Away From Home Because families are essential to the care team at Craig, it’s very important that they live close to their loved ones during the rehabilitation process. Through the generosity of donors, Craig provides up to 30 days of complimentary housing for patients who live more than 60 miles from Denver. “Beginning on Scott’s very first day at Craig, my mom and I have been able to stay very close to the hospital,” Christina says. “It’s so helpful. Not only does this relieve the burden of driving to see him, but it also allows me to participate more actively in Scott’s day-to-day schedule. It lets me focus completely on Scott and his recovery. There is no question that the housing is invaluable and something I am extremely grateful for.” These days, Scott is only looking ahead. While he is not sure what the future holds, he insists that life looks a lot brighter. “I feel more independent and hopeful about my recovery,” he says. “Considering I arrived at Craig needing help with everything, I’ve come a long way.”
“Sarah Purdy, our CCM, handled all of the behindthe-scenes details,” Christina explains. “I felt like Sarah was a net that was constantly catching things and guaranteeing that the train stayed on the tracks. She made us feel cared for, ensured that our entire family felt supported, and always found a way to sprinkle joy.”
Both Scott and Christina credit Scott’s care team and the web of Craig donors for helping him walk out of Craig on his own. “Scott would not be where he is today without Craig Hospital,” Christina explains. “It’s like a bubble of safety where you feel supported and confident to be successful. Everybody works together as a team and is committed to the patients and families. The holistic, comprehensive expertise is unbelievable.”
Christina adds, “Sarah also tackled numerous insurance issues and made sure we always had what we needed. She not only helped get all of Scott’s inpatient and outpatient services approved, but she secured housing for us near Craig.”
Gratitude is also important to the couple. “I will be forever grateful for this place,” Scott says. “My current situation has been the hardest life experience, but Craig got me through it. Our appreciation is immeasurable.”
FROM DARKNESS TO HEALING Witness Jon’s incredible journey from darkness to embracing a new sense of purpose. Join us in celebrating Jon’s strength, resilience and unwavering determination.
‘TIS THE SEASON TO GIVE THE GIFT OF HOPE #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving, takes place on Tuesday, November 28th. Visit GivingTuesday | Craig Hospital to learn more about how you can get involved. Colorado Gives Day, on December 5th, is a special day dedicated to philanthropy here in Colorado. Give early by visiting Colorado Gives 365.
NOVEMBER 28, 2023
Join us in giving the gift of hope to patients and their families this season! COLORADO DONORS: Donations of $250+ may qualify for a 25% Colorado state tax credit. Click here to learn more! Your gift will go to work within 31 days to ensure that all Craig patients receive our wholeperson and family center therapies -- regardless of ability to pay.
With YOUR help during Fiscal Year 2023: 538 inpatients and 1,382 outpatients benefited from Craig’s life-empowering rehabilitation programs. Patients received $2.6 million worth of financial assistance and scholarships. 12 research task force studies were initiated. ...and MORE.