“I just want to say thank you to everyone here.”
When she arrived, Elizabeth only opened her eyes by verbal command and was unable to move her arms or legs without assistance. She had a tracheostomy to assist with breathing, couldn’t speak and only received nutrition through a feeding tube. The hospital had given a very poor prognosis for any kind of recovery. Elizabeth’s family and TGS believed differently. Elizabeth came to The Good Shepherd on January 19, 2010. With extensive therapy and care, she began moving her left hand and arm 11 days later. Within the next week, she started speaking to staff and expressing her needs. She was also able to move around in bed, sit in a chair, brush her teeth and comb her hair. Elizabeth no longer needs oxygen and her tracheostomy was removed in early March. Today she can stand at the parallel bars with assistance and speak in sentences. She is no longer dependent on the feeding tube and is eating soft foods and drinking thickened liquids.
With the skilled nursing staff, therapy and support from her family, Elizabeth has progressed rapidly, both physically and cognitively. “She is our miracle,” said Vickie, Elizabeth’s mother, who credits her amazing rehabilitation to the care she received at TGS. The prayers of Elizabeth’s family, including her husband David and 5-year-old daughter Kayliegh, have been answered.
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One Year and Still Going Strong pg. 3 Special Thanks pg. 3
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How Outreach Ministries helped a family start over when they had nothing
The Good Shepherd Rehabilitation and Healthcare Campus is located at 622 Center St. in Ashland. For more information about the facility, contact Lorie White, director of Admissions and Social Services, at 419-289-3523, ext. 5143.
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Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio Newsletter
“It is through God that all of this has fallen into place. He has shown us many miracles, and I’m so thankful that The Good Shepherd staff is with Elizabeth,” Vickie said.
Tracing its roots to 1912, LSS is a nonprofit social service agency affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and recognized by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. LSS provides human services for all people according to their needs. These services include: food pantries, emergency shelters, affordable housing, retirement services, and outreach ministries.
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The future was looking very bleak for Elizabeth. The 24-year-old wife and mother had suffered a massive stroke and was left with severe brain damage. She was on life support prior to coming to The Good Shepherd Rehabilitation and Healthcare Campus (TGS), the only facility in the area capable of providing the skilled-nursing care Elizabeth needed.
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LSS Gains New VP of Development & Communications pg. 3 A Miracle on Center Street pg. 4
Bill came home one day to an empty house. Literally. He discovered that his wife of 15 years had left him and their two sons, and she had taken every piece of furniture, household items and the food from the cupboards. Bill had been unemployed for six months, as the local factory closed and put 700 people out of work. He lacked the means to replace what was taken. A local Lutheran pastor looking to help referred Bill to the LSS Distribution Center in Caldwell. “The house was empty, and the family had nothing. They were devastated,” said Mary Woodward, director of Outreach Ministries. “They lost everything, but we pooled our resources and gave them everything we could to help.” St. Paul Lutheran Church in Westerville had collected a number of items for Outreach Ministries, including furniture and appliances. Additional congregations also contributed new toys, school supplies, dental hygiene kits and monetary donations for special needs, and Bill was able to select what he needed from the donations. Archer’s Flowers, an area business, also made a financial contribution after learning of Bill’s plight. With assistance from the distribution center, Bill and his sons were able to furnish their home, restock their kitchen cupboards and celebrate Christmas with new toys, school supplies and other holiday items.
“The family said they were amazed at God’s love and were deeply touched and appreciative of the generosity displayed by the Lutheran congregations. They saved the family from a terrible situation,” Woodward said. Outreach Ministries serves 24 Appalachian counties in southeast Ohio. During the Christmas season, staff and volunteers delivered new toys and gifts to more than 4,000 children and adults with special needs through the support of the many caring Ohio congregations. “God’s love for his people is demonstrated in the acts of kindness performed by the LSS staff and volunteers everyday,” Woodward said. Donations of furniture, appliances and monetary gifts are needed to assist families in southeast Ohio. If you would like to help families like Bill’s, please contact Mary Woodward at 740-732-6700 or mwoodward@lssco.org.
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Creating a Better World by Serving People in Need
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