Patients' Success Stories The Phoenix Physical Therapy family of companies provides the best care to patients every day. Patient stories are the story of our company and our “why”. Our patients tell that story best.
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Now part of the Phoenix family!
Now a part of the Phoenix family
Back Doing What He Loves: Ron McLean’s Success Story It was Woodward Dream Cruise week in Detroit, Michigan. On August 14th, after a day of fun in his Classic Dodge, Ron McLean’s life changed forever. On the way home, his beloved Dodge was rearended by a car traveling over 100 miles an hour near Flint’s Bishop International Airport. Ron thought he had been hit by a plane because the impact was so hard! His car flipped several times and landed in a ditch. When Ron became aware of what happened, he knew he was badly injured. Both bones in his lower arm were crushed, a tendon was lacerated in his hand and his eye was dislodged from the socket, which was also broken. He had a broken rib, a broken sternum and his ear was severely cut. After several surgeries, Ron’s doctor sent him to Advanced Physical Therapy Center, now part of the Phoenix family. At Advanced PT - Flint, Ron would meet Anita Greene, OTRL and Mike Brew, PT, DPT, AT. Little did he know, they would soon become like family. Ron’s journey began September 18th, over a month after his accident. His recovery process, which would be a long one, needed to be done in stages, and Anita and Mike were tasked with seeing the big picture. They needed to creatively craft an occupational and physical therapy plan that would get Ron back to doing what he needed to do; what he wanted to do. He was ready. The Vietnam Veteran had the perseverance and determination to get better and get back to life.
In the beginning, the OT/PT sessions were dedicated to treating the acute problems. There was swelling and wound care for his hand and forearm, and Ron needed help with his balance and walking. Mike would work with Ron and then Anita would take over. The two teamed-up with Ron’s family to make sure he had a support system that could help in the recovery process at home. There was feedback from every angle as they all worked together to get the best results.
During the first year, the goal was to get Ron functioning day-to-day. He learned, once again, to perform the simple tasks of dressing, bathing, and grooming without assistance. Then, as time went on, Ron was eager to become even more independent. He wanted to be able to perform fine motor tasks like making a simple meal, zipping up his pants, and turning a door handle independently. A retired engineer by trade, Ron came up with an assistive device using a hook attached to a brace to help him along. He also worked on his vision following his eye injury, wanting to feel confident again getting behind the wheel of a car. Anita incorporated visual scanning skills into hand therapy activities to strengthen his eye muscles. After regaining his independence, the focus shifted to Ron’s passion, which is working on his collection of cars. But the strength in his arm was minimal. Lifting, gripping, and rotating was tough. Anita began to tailor Ron’s occupational therapy tasks to his specific goal of getting back in the garage. “I played with what looked like children’s games”, said Ron. He would spend his sessions at Advanced PT, putting pegs into holes and molding Theraputty. Little did Ron know these tasks were increasing his strength and improving his fine motor skills even more. “He would always want to go faster,” recalls Anita, “he was always determined to get better.” One day before his two-year anniversary at Advanced PT, Ron was cleared by the specialist to be discharged. He can lift about 40 pounds with his left arm now. That is not quite 100 percent, but it is enough to get him back to doing what he loves: working on cars. “I came to trust Anita like a sister,” Ron says. Trust, that after two years of hard work, has given him his life back. From day-to-day functionality, to enjoying the days ahead, Ron has this to say to those who may have doubts about PT: “If you want to get better, you’ve got to do it to get back to the things you enjoy doing.”
Climbing a Recovery Mountain: Ken Taylor’s Success Story A split-second decision by Ken Taylor likely saved two lives on April 13th. “I’ve done it a million times. I was driving down a mountain, coming down to an S-Curve.” But this was not like every other time. Ken looked down and took a deep breath, remembering, “I went to slow the truck down and there were no brakes.” Ken was driving a semi-truck hauling 44-thousand pounds of mulch in the mountains of North Carolina. He had three choices: drive off a massive cliff to his death, try to take the curve without brakes in the on-coming left lane, potentially killing someone driving toward him or lay the truck down. Ken described what happened next, quickly turning an imaginary steering wheel in front of him, “I whipped the front of the semi and laid the truck on its side. I slid and took out 120 feet of guardrail.” Ken was alive, but badly injured. The semi was unrecognizable. Ken recalls hearing someone yelling to him, “Hey! Is anyone in there?” It was Jerry, the man driving in the oncoming lane when Ken made the decision to lay the truck down. Ken saved Jerry’s life. Jerry called 9-1-1 and helped Ken by making him more comfortable with coats from his car. While they waited for emergency crews to arrive, Ken realized something was very wrong with his face and head. A massive gash left the skin of his forehead falling into his left eye. He struggled to see. Ken asked Jerry to call his wife, Tammy, who was in Michigan. The two talked, but neither had any idea the extent of Ken’s injuries. It took over an hour for the rescue team to cut Ken from the semi. As they brought him to the hospital, Tammy picked up Ken’s mother and the two raced from several states away to see Ken, but their journey ended at the front doors of the hospital. COVID kept Tammy and the rest of Ken’s family from seeing him for several more days. There was little communication with doctors during that time, so Tammy remained in the dark about what Ken was going through.
On discharge day, outside the hospital, Tammy was handed a folder full of medical papers by hospital staff. Each page documented the numerous injuries Ken suffered and the procedures he endured over the last few days. Tammy sifted through a few but did not fully understand what each meant. Still not knowing exactly what Ken had been through, the painful three-day journey back to Michigan began. It was only when Ken saw his doctors in Michigan, did he and Tammy realize how serious his injuries were. The list was massive. Ken fractured three bones in his back, he snapped both bones in his right forearm, he fractured his neck, his nasal bone, his sternum, and his shoulder blade and his toe was crushed. Ken also suffered a traumatic brain injury and that gash he felt the day of the accident required 14 staples and too many stitches to count. In the coming weeks, Ken would have 5 major surgeries and even more minor procedures to set him on the road to recovery. His doctor also prescribed physical therapy to begin the long process of regaining his strength, function, and range of motion. Ken started at Advanced Physical Therapy Center, now part of the Phoenix family, in May. Ken didn’t have a lot of expectations but recalls, “I just knew I needed to get out of the house and do something. I’m not a quitter, as you can tell. I knew I was coming here to work hard on it and that’s what I did.” On the day of Ken’s first appointment, he could barely walk from the car to the front door of Advanced PT – Waterford. He wore a clamshell brace to keep his spinal column stable and still wore numerous bandages covering surgery incisions and lacerations from the accident. Shelley Hanchett, PT, CHT and Jill Heberling, LPTA documented Ken’s challenges, measured his abilities and noted his long-term goals. Then, they created a plan to help Ken get back to living the life he deserves. Over the next few months, Ken worked hard, using the NuStep cross trainer and the MedX lumbar strengthener, while Jill used manual techniques on his neck and back. Kim Cochran, OTRL, joined Ken’s rehab team to work on his hand and wrist. Heather Pantea, OTRL focused on his shoulder movement, giving him the ability to use his right arm again. Ken reveals, “Do you know how excited I got when I was able to touch my nose!” While his forearm movement is still limited and he may never regain full range of motion, his occupational therapy team brought him to a point where he can perform many daily tasks. Ken recalls getting discouraged at times but remembers how Jill was right there to push him, “She is always encouraging me. She says encouraging things like you’re doing great, and I can’t believe you are even the same person.” And a different person is right. Now, Ken can walk through the store; he can turn his arm fully. His strength is back, and the pain is disappearing. When asked about what he would say to someone who might be apprehensive about trying physical therapy, Ken says, “Get your butt in here and work whether you like it or not. If you want to physically and mentally get better, then you’ll come here and you’ll work, and people here will be behind you and support you and give you the encouragement and motivation that you need. You need the motivation to get better.” Tammy, reflecting on the recovery mountain Ken is still climbing, chimes in with, “Understand it’s a slow process, but don’t get frustrated. Each session you get a little bit better. You may not see the progress immediately, but it will come.” Ken is using his downtime to write a book chronicling his life. He says it has been therapeutic to look back and reflect on the choices he has made. Ken is working on healing his mind and body and Advanced PT is proud to be part of his remarkable journey.
Miracles in Pine Grove, PA: Hayden Strouphauer’s Success “She is a complete miracle, and someone was watching over her that day.” - Lindsay Strouphauer, Hayden’s Mom Life changed for the Strouphauer family on January 10. The bedtime peace in their Pennsylvania home was shattered by a horrendous thud in 3-year-old Hayden’s room. Lindsay, Hayden’s mom knew right away what happened. A dresser, with a box TV on top, fell on Hayden. Hayden’s father, Brandon, a Second Assistant Fire Chief with the Pine Grove Hose, Hook and Ladder Fire Company, leapt into action. He moved the heavy furniture, called for an ambulance, and began checking Hayden for injuries. Hayden was crying, but her pupils were not dilating. She was reacting, but SHE was not there. Testing began immediately after a helicopter rushed Hayden to a hospital in Danville. There was bleeding on Hayden’s brain and no sign of frontal lobe activity. The frontal lobe is responsible for a person’s personality, cognitive skills, and motor skills. It was devastating news for the Strouphauer family who were still waiting to see the full extent of Hayden’s injuries. After an agonizing seven hours, Hayden became responsive again and opened her eyes. Unbelievably, she recognized her family, and her short-term and long-term memory were intact! Lindsay recalls, “She seemed like Hayden.” But quickly, that elation turned to concern when she asked to use the bathroom. Hayden could not walk or put any weight on her legs. X-rays and scans showed no broken bones or muscle damage which forced doctors to circle back and blame the traumatic brain injury or TBI. Over the next few days, doctors monitored the brain bleed. Nothing changed, which was good, but now it was time to look ahead to the recovery process to see what Hayden would be able to learn to do again and what the lifelong effects of the accident would be. It was a waiting game to see how and IF her brain would heal. Within weeks of the accident, Hayden needed occupational therapy, and physical therapy. Lindsay began searching for the right place for Hayden’s rehab. The facility needed to be close because Hayden would become nauseous on long car rides. The good news? Phoenix Physical Therapy had just opened a clinic in Pine Grove, minutes from the Strouphauer’s house. The bad news? The clinic could not accommodate pediatric patients. After several phone calls and some of what Lindsay calls “begging”, Lauren Brennan, PT, DPT agreed to work with Hayden. Lauren was a little worried given the clinic was only setup for adults, but she wanted to help. The physical therapy evaluation was tough on Lindsay. It required her to see what Hayden could no longer do. “I was very doubtful. I did not think PT would fix her. I thought it would help us learn the ‘new way’ with Hayden and accommodate her.” Lauren remembers, “She was unable to walk or bear weight on either leg.
She presented almost like she regressed to being an infant.” On day two of PT the hard work began, and Lauren told Lindsay they were going to teach Hayden to walk again. As Lauren addressed the physical issues, she became aware she would also have to navigate the effects the TBI had on Hayden’s personality. Hayden got angry and frustrated easily. She would pull out her hair and scratch herself until she would bleed. That is when Lauren’s creativity kicked in. Hayden’s therapy sessions became a game. Lindsay describes a session: “They did a lily pad thing where Hayden would jump from lily pad to lily pad. She was playing while she was learning. She looked forward to seeing Lauren. They had an amazing relationship. I’m so grateful she took that leap and took a peds patient.” Lauren used yoga techniques to work on Hayden’s balance and created innovative plans that would engage Hayden in fun activities without her even realizing she was learning to walk again. When Hayden remembers her time at Phoenix she says, “It was super fun, like a playground but inside!” Within a month, Hayden was walking again. Walking turned into stair climbing and then running. Lindsay remembers, “Every session we had, I felt we made progress. Little steps. Every time we left there was something she could go home and show Dad. I truly think that the Phoenix clinic team and Lauren, specifically, is the reason that Hayden can walk, and the reason Hayden has regained her balance and learned to run and has become a kid again. We’ve deemed Lauren a miracle worker.” Hayden agrees saying, “Lauren did magic on my legs and made them behave right!” After about 3 months, Lauren felt confident Hayden could safely walk and run again, “She made a full recovery from a mobility standpoint. She is a resilient, strong little girl!” Hayden went on to kindergarten where her teacher, Shandra Allar, went the extra mile to help her assimilate and succeed. She even took a concussion class to learn about TBI and the effects it could have on Hayden’s learning. Hayden’s family is grateful for all the support they received since the accident and choose to pay it forward. Each January, near the anniversary of her accident, Hayden and her family pick an organization to help. In 2021, Hayden sold awareness ribbon keychains to raise money for the Hope for Kids Fund. The organization was founded by the teachers at her school district after several students needed a helping hand. $65 for the fund, an amazing amount for a kindergartener. The selfless act even made her a television star when a reporter told her story on the local news. The Strouphauers are now part of the Phoenix Physical Therapy family, and Lauren is now part of the Strouphauer family. Lindsay trusts Lauren for her physical therapy needs and so does Hayden’s great grandmother. Lauren buys girl scout cookies from Hayden’s older sister and is a sponsor of an annual 5K hosted by Brandon’s fire company. “The care that Hayden got with Phoenix PT and Lauren is nothing I can ever put into words. It was amazing, above, and beyond. Just to accommodate her physical and mental state. You’re not just taking on a patient you’re taking on a family.” Hayden’s future is bright. Lindsay says she will always have to worry about the possibility of another brain injury and Hayden may continue to struggle cognitively, but she is quick to say, “We are happy with our Hayden!”
How Simple Things Can Mean the Most: Tom Underwood’s Sucess Story Running, bicycling, weightlifting. Tom Underwood has always been an active man, even running marathons in college. He earns his living in Pennsylvania as a firefighter and loves to travel. There is no room in his life for pain. So, when injuries affected both of his knees, he had surgeries to repair the problems. Seven surgeries, to be exact. And after that seventh surgery in 2010, Tom vowed he would never have another. But the pain returned with a vengeance. Tom Remembers, “I walked around for years in so much discomfort. I wasn’t enjoying myself anymore. I wasn’t walking around at work. I was a professional firefighter for 31 years. Everything was uncomfortable. Then, people started pointing out that I wasn’t walking right.” That’s when Tom decided, with advice from his doctor, to have one more knee surgery, a partial knee replacement. “I will be 58 in September. I really didn’t want to have this. I put it off for as long as I could.” After the surgery, it was time to find a Physical Therapist Tom could trust. He wanted someone who embraced his long-term plans and had experience helping people get back to an active lifestyle. His goals included simply walking without pain, bike riding, and there was even a small glimmer of hope that he could enjoy one of his lifetime passions again: weightlifting. But Tom was at peace with the possibility that he wouldn’t be able to go back to doing what he loved. “No one was going to tell me, yes it’s a good idea to get back to doing squats and deadlifts.” But he found Barrie Jo Wambold, PT, DPT at Phoenix Physical Therapy in Easton. She was not so sure. Tom should give up on his dream. Tom recalls one of the first conversations he had with Barrie Jo, “She felt like I was going to be able to go back to it. She said from the beginning that Hulk Hogan had more injuries than me, and he went back to doing it. She was pretty confident I could do it and that was so encouraging.” The hard work began right away, and Tom immediately felt comfortable in the Easton clinic. “They have a family atmosphere. It’s a small space physically. Not like some PT places where it’s like walking into a massive gym. This is more of a family.” He rode the stationary bike and performed exercises aimed at restoring his balance and strength. Tom remembers how Barrie Jo prepared him to get back to fighting fires. “She was personally concerned about me being able to climb a ladder. They actually brought in a 6-foot ladder to work with. She took range of motion measurements, so she knew I was able to do my job.” Tom was also diligent about performing his at home exercise program, increasing his odds of great results. “You aren’t going to get better right away, but you aren’t going to get better at all if you don’t do it. Find the motivation. Kick yourself in the butt and get going! Do it.” Tom spent two and a half months with Barrie Jo and the Easton crew and was back to riding his bicycle 30 miles at a time even before he left their care. He hikes and can perform all the duties his job requires. But what about weightlifting? Tom reveals, “Again, I didn’t have any ambitions of weightlifting again. I would mess around a little and I noticed it wasn’t causing me pain.” Then one day, a little over 5 months after his partial knee replacement, Tom squatted 235 pounds! “I had the range of motion, and it wasn’t causing pain.” Barrie Jo was right. With hard work during the rehabilitation process, Tom was given the tools to get back to enjoying one of his passions again. Barrie Jo reflects on her journey with Tom. “(He) was such a motivated patient and a pleasure to work with. We came up with a specific plan that worked for him, and he was eventually able to get back to powerlifting. Tom is very active and as a therapist you must adjust your treatments to the client’s level and listen to their goals. This is what makes my job so special.” What’s next for Tom? “There’s always something else on the horizon. Honestly right now, I’m thankful I can just walk places without being in pain. I do a lot of traveling. I had visited places that were oncein-a-lifetime destinations that I’ll never get to again. I walked around in pain and couldn’t enjoy it. As simple as it sounds to be able to walk without pain is amazing. So many people take that for granted.”
Getting My Life Back Through Trust and Physical Therapy: Jennifer Zabloski’s Success My goal was to live life again, without crying all the time… actually function as a normal person would. I had lost so much.” – Jennifer Zabloski, Phoenix Patient A cervical epidural almost killed Jennifer Zabloski. The injection of steroid medicine into the area around the spinal cord in the neck, is meant to help with pain, tingling, or numbness in the neck and arm. Jennifer’s doctor recommended the treatment after she experienced pain in her shoulder, which was a symptom of a problem in her neck. That doctor told her she would need to try physical therapy first to see if it would work but fully expected to see her back in his office in a few weeks to receive the shot. Jennifer went to PT but reveals, “I didn’t give it a chance. If I would have just given it a chance, I believe it would have fixed my problem.” Jennifer received the cervical epidural in February, what happened next is nothing short of a nightmare. Jennifer contracted meningitis and encephalitis after receiving the shot for her pain. It is a very rare side effect of the shot, but one that can be deadly. Jennifer fought the infection for a week in the hospital and then required care from an in-home nurse for another two months. Jennifer remembers, “I really needed PT after that because I was in some seriously bad shape. ”Jennifer found Phoenix Physical Therapy in Cornersburg, OH. Jennifer explains, “I could not lift my head up; I could not lift my arms up. I needed PT, OT, and speech therapy. I was crying when I went in for my initial evaluation,” which is when she met the Cornersburg Clinic Director at the time, Vincent Ragozine, PT, DPT. “Vince was so nice and so kind. I was willing to grasp onto anything because I needed help. I didn’t have anyone to help me. He was such a gentle person, that I decided to stick with him. He was willing to help, and I needed it so badly.” The meningitis and encephalitis left Jennifer’s body and brain weak. She needed physical therapy for balance and strength training. She needed occupational therapy to improve her hand-eye coordination. She needed speech therapy because she would get tongue-tied when she tried to form sentences. Jennifer had several goals when she started her recovery process. She remembers losing so much physically and emotionally. “My goal was to live life again, without crying all the time…actually function as a normal person would. I had lost so much. I had developed epilepsy through all of this. I had my driver’s license taken away. So, I was physically just having all these things taken away from me, my personal freedom. I had to rely on others. My mom was driving me everywhere. I was just trying to survive.” Jennifer made progress with each session. She says everyone at the Cornersburg clinic made sure she felt comfortable. “When I came in, they were always asking me how I was feeling. They were so wonderful to me; always communicating and asking what was hurting. They really cared about me on a personal level. That made me feel like I mattered.” That support enabled Jennifer to achieve several milestones while working with her therapy team. The most satisfying accomplishments? She was able to get her driver’s license back and she is now able to work again. Vince recalls, “She was a dedicated patient with a positive attitude, and she did her home
work, which were essential in her long-term improvement.” Jennifer still visits the Cornersburg clinic weekly to help with the residual effects from the trauma she experienced three years ago. She calls herself clutsy, and says she has trouble with spatial relationships which causes her to run into things and injure herself. Her recovery team has expanded over the years to include the newest Cornersburg Clinic Director, David Heck, PT, DPT; Karen Rapp, LPTA; Jim Daily, LPTA; and Sheryl Welsh, OTRL. Her favorite part of each session is her time spent with Meghan Thompson, LPTA. “She has helped me through all of these things. She has been a confidant…a counselor…she has become a friend. They are all my friends. I stop and see them when I have something big to tell them. That’s how much I love them. Without them, I would never be where I’m at today after seeing them every week for three years.” Looking back on her journey, Jennifer wishes she had taken PT seriously the first time it was offered. She offers this advice to people who might be unsure about whether PT works: “Listen, PT is the only thing that actually worked to make me better. Doing the stretching and exercises did. Medicine just temporarily relieves the pain. The only thing that actually fixes your muscles is the strengthening and stretching of the muscles.”
Back in the Spotlight: Addie Latimer’s Success Story “My Mom and I didn’t think I’d dance again. But coming here and using BFR, now I’m back and better than ever!” – Addie Latimer, 12-Year-Old Advanced Patient 12-year-old Addison Latimer, or Addie as she’s called, bounces into Advanced PT, fresh from school. She hops on an exercise bike and begins to pedal. You’d never know, just 2 months earlier, a major injury left her unable to walk without crutches. Richelle, Addie’s Mom, shares what happened during what she describes as a goof-off night at dance class: “She did a kick and hyper-extended her left knee. Her kneecap popped out and popped right back in.” But the action shaved off a piece of cartilage, leaving her unable to bend her knee. On December 30th, Addie had surgery. The surgeon had hoped to put the cartilage back in place, but it just wasn’t possible. She’d be placed on a waiting list for donor cartilage and another repair surgery down the road. Reality began to set in. Addie could barely walk, and she certainly couldn’t do one of her most favorite things in the world: DANCE! The orthopedic surgeon recommended physical therapy to help strengthen Addie’s leg and get her walking again. The Latimers didn’t know what to expect, but they had hope after hearing a friend had gotten back to dance after PT. Addie took the challenge head-on, knowing a Physical Therapist had the expertise to help her reach her longterm goal: to dance again. Richelle recalls the first visits were rough, saying “the muscle loss was shocking. She couldn’t lift her leg.” Addie started with traditional therapy techniques. Then, moved on to Blood Flow Restriction Training or BFR. BFR is a rehabilitation process of performing exercises while reducing the blood supply to certain muscles using a cuff, similar to a blood pressure cuff. It rebuilds muscle and restores strength quicker. It’s a technique perfect for post-surgical patients. Richelle read about BFR, checked with her doctor, and decided it would be a good thing for Addie to try. Addie would put a BFR cuff around her leg for the first time on a Friday afternoon. She was a little hesitant, saying “it hurt a little bit and then I got used to it and it was fine.”After a tiring session, Addie and her mom went home. Saturday morning, Richelle caught some movement out of the corner of her eye. It was Addie. After one BFR session, Addie had ditched the crutches and was walking across the family room. Richelle couldn’t believe it! After several more weeks of therapy, fast forward to February 8th. That day, a little over 5 weeks post-surgery, Addie danced in a competition! Addie continues to improve and dance every day, and with a smile says, “I was happy to do PT. They know what they’re doing. It’s not just for old people. It really does help you. It’s cool to come and get better so quickly.”
Back on Top of the Mountain: Dan Skodol’s Success Story “You let your guard down, you’re home free. I just finished a run and caught an edge, and very quickly took a big tumble.” A day of skiing quickly turned awful for Dan Skodol. “I imagined a broken leg would be excruciatingly painful, but I wasn’t sure it was broken.” It was. Dan’s surgeon said the break to Dan’s tibia was likely caused by the force of his thigh bone driving into the top of his tibia. Dan was tobogganed down the mountain and rushed to the hospital. There he learned his leg was broken in multiple places. He had one surgery the night of the accident to stabilize the bone while the swelling went down. Then he had another surgery, 2 weeks later. “It included screws and a plate to get everything back together. The doctors said it was rough, but they expected a full recovery. I’m a runner also and skiing was the thing I most wanted to do again.” After 14 weeks on crutches recovering from major surgery, Dan lost most of the strength and flexibility in his leg. His doctor recommended physical therapy.“I was on crutches for my first evaluation. I was really just using them for support. The very first thing that (my Therapist) told me was, ‘you’re going to have to ditch your crutches’.” Dan’s Physical Therapist wasted no time leading Dan down the road to recovery. Dan recalls each session was packed full of exercises. “Stretches, the stationary bike, stepping exercises, squatting, the leg press machine. I didn’t truly hate anything. There were some awkward and hard to replicate stretches. My hip flexor is nothing I’ve ever paid attention to before, but (my Therapist) had me stretching it. (We did) obstacle courses and used stretch bands.” Dan noticed the progress he was making. Each week, he felt stronger and was able to do more. “I would often come away from an hour-long session and without fail, days later, I was still very sore. I thought that was a good sign. It’s not always apparent right away, but when something is working you’re going to feel it.” With help from his physical therapy team, Dan’s hard work paid off. And you don’t need to look far to see what kept Dan going during his rehabilitation journey. “We had a baby while I was on crutches. The accident happened while (my wife) was 7 months pregnant. I regained the ability to do a lot of day-to-day things very quickly with PT.” Dan also found extra motivation during his therapy sessions in the clinic. “I liked being in a room with other people who were working on a goal. I thought I’d be by myself, but that wasn’t the case. It was motivating. Everyone was there for the same purpose. I never dreaded going or doing the things I needed to do. I made a large amount of progress in a short amount of time.” Dan looks back at his time in the clinic fondly and is grateful for the help he found there. “The people are very approachable. You can be open about how you feel on a given day. They were very receptive when I wasn’t having a good day. They modified and were very flexible. They listened to you and adjusted to get things back on track.”
Dan says he’s not back to 100% yet, but he is able to do many of the things he’s been wanting to do like swimming, biking, and hiking. In fact, Dan, who lives with Multiple Sclerosis, successfully completed an MS fundraising hike on the very mountain where his skiing accident took place. Now, Dan is looking forward to skiing again, which his doctors have no doubt will be possible. Possible, thanks to physical therapy. “I would say (PT) is important and it’s undoubtedly a challenge. But it’s good to challenge yourself to feel normal again and get back to where you started. It’s interesting and fun.”
My Goals, My Team, My Future: Leslie Jefferson’s Sucess Story In an instant, at 30 years old, Leslie Jefferson was paralyzed from the waist down. It happened in November, Leslie, and a group of her coworkers, exhausted from months of COVID restrictions, gathered on a Maryland farm for an outdoor “friendsgiving” barbecue celebration. Everyone was very excited to get together and have a little normalcy and fun. Leslie and another woman decided to hop on a four-wheeler. Leslie thought they were just going to drive circles in a field, but the trip took a turn when the driver redirected into woods to explore some trails. They could see tracks from other trips taken, but they did not see the deep ditch that suddenly appeared in front of them. The massive impact sent Leslie flying. She recalls, “when I hit the ground, I immediately felt all my lower extremities just disappear. It was the weirdest thing. I was calm. I couldn’t move, but I was able to find my phone.” She called for help. Leslie’s next ten days were spent at the Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. That is where she learned she had a T12 spinal cord injury which affects lower body functions such as walking and bowel and bladder functions. People with T12 spinal cord injuries generally have normal, full functioning upper bodies, but her doctors were clear, Leslie would never walk again.
Leslie moved to the University of Maryland Rehabilitation Facility for 30 days of inpatient treatment. She remembers her time there was spent working toward goals set FOR her. The whirlwind schedule of learning to live life as a paralyzed person became overwhelming. “I didn’t even have time to grieve. I lost my legs. I needed some time.” And mixed up in the middle was the push to set up outpatient therapy once Leslie went home. Her case manager recommended a place she had never heard of. So, Leslie took the search into her own hands, doing research and reaching out to members of a spinal cord injury mentorship program she belonged to. She needed a clinic close to her home, one that specialized in spinal cord injuries and one that took her insurance. Based on a recommendation from a friend, she called Atlantic Physical Therapy, now part of the Phoenix Physical Therapy family, in Ocean Pines, Maryland. Leslie recounts her first call to the clinic where she talked to Michele Herold. “I call her my fairy godmother. She fought for me even before I got out of (inpatient) rehab. From the beginning she made me feel comfortable. She said, ‘we will do whatever we have to, to get you in here.
We will figure it out. Just get here!’” It took six weeks to get there, because a ramp needed to be built so Leslie could leave her home easily. In that time, she watched her body atrophy and the muscles in her legs disappear. It was devastating, but she did not give up and instead took control of her eating habits, ensuring her body had the fuel it needed to complete her therapy sessions once they began. When Leslie finally wheeled into the Ocean Pines clinic, she was unsure of what to expect. To her surprise, “everyone literally stopped and was so happy that I was finally there. Without even meeting me…having that kind of support from people you don’t even know. I fell in love with them right away.” Ocean Pines Clinic Director, Charles Curran, PT, remembers their first meeting. “Leslie has been highly motivated since day one. Having such a devastating injury, it would have been completely normal to suffer through depression and self-pity. Not once. (She) always had a smile and an attitude that said, ‘what do we have to do next.’” After Leslie’s initial evaluation, the next step was to discuss goals. Leslie remem-bers, “They asked me, ‘what are YOUR goals?’ I never thought I’d get to make my own goals. I thought therapy made them for me.” So, what was on Leslie’s first goal list? “I wanted to be able to independently get from my chair to my bed without using a board. I wanted to independently go from my wheelchair to a shower chair. I wanted to do wheelies so I could get up and down curbs. I wanted to walk the dog without getting the leash tied up in my chair. And I have a 3-year-old. I wanted to lean over and pick her up without falling out of my chair.” Charles and Will M., LPTA jumped into action, helping Leslie quickly achieve her list, giving her some of her life back.The sessions continued three times a week and with each session Leslie learned something that would enable her to get even more of her life back. Real life lessons. Leslie loves to tell the story about her first encounter with Nick Gerthoffer, LPTA, who told her she was going to sit on a big exercise ball and not fall over.“I got on the ball. I 100 percent fell over. But eventually I did it. I can’t think for a second, when I will sit on a ball in real life but finding that stability on the ball connects with sitting on a bed and controlling your core. Nick was indirectly teaching me that I needed more trunk control.” Then came a major milestone in Leslie’s therapy. The clinicians at the Ocean Pines clinic decided to see if she could stand, something Leslie never thought she would do again. Leslie paints a picture of that day: “These three big guys come out and say we’re just going to pick you up and see if you can stand. And it just snow-balled from there. I used the parallel bars. They put stuff around me to see if I could bear weight. Next thing you know, I regained feeling in the bottom of my feet! I cried; my mom cried. It was insane. We started doing that as part of our therapy.”
The days of miraculous milestones continued for Leslie and her team, which included her mother, Julia Milford, who did not want to miss a single moment of therapy. Undaunted by what doctors told her, and on the advice of her therapists, Leslie tried assisted walking using the AlterG Anti-
The innovative machine reduces the gravity’s impact on Leslie’s body, by holding her up by the waist in a bubble, allowing her to complete a walking motion using the muscle strength in her hips. “For me to physically see my legs moving was insane.” A mid-therapy re-evaluation even revealed Leslie is now able to move her leg to the side while laying down because of the targeted muscle work she had been doing since her first appointment. Will Mozingo, LPTA sees her determination every session. “Leslie is one of the most dedicated, strong willed women I have ever known, she never backs down from a challenge.” And that prompted Will to take Leslie’s walking one step further. “I recommended bilateral locking knee braces (to give her a sense) of her lower extremities when standing, and to put myself in better position to help with bilateral hip rotation. To my surprise as well as Leslie’s, she was able to utilize her hip and slide her feet and take a couple of steps in the parallel bars.” Those were the first steps on solid ground, Leslie had taken since the accident, and the miracles did not stop there. Leslie quickly learned to use that hip action to walk through the clinic, using a rolling walker. Her steps began on a straight path, but soon, she progressed to taking turns and trying different types of flooring. “Every time I move a part of my body, I start thinking about it. My legs are waking up thanks to everything my therapists have taught me. I don’t feel like I have one therapist. I feel like all 6 people in that building, 100% of the time, are working for me.” When asked about where she would be without her team at Ocean Pines Leslie says, “I seriously don’t know. If I didn’t have them, I don’t think I would leave my house. I wouldn’t be as comfortable being gone all day long. My being physically able to maneuver myself and having confidence in my wheelchair makes it where I’m not scared to leave. I have confidence to use a public restroom. I would have been miserable; I would have been withering away. And I wouldn’t have been taking my life into my own hands. I have a 3-year-old daughter. I cannot afford to not live an active life. She’s three I have to keep up with her and it’s because of these people. They’re like a true family. When you reach a goal, the whole building claps for me. I have a fan club! I never want to stop. I’m just thankful I can live this life.” Leslie realizes attitude is essential to the recovery process. “My being super active, taking my nutrition into my own hands, winning at therapy, and then at home...I’ve learned not to limit myself.” Leslie will continue her work with the Ocean Pines crew setting goals for herself, creating inspiring trails for other spinal cord injury patients to follow, and learning real life lessons from people she considers family.
Dancing Again in Delaware: Kris Theoharis’ Success Story “While riding my bicycle, I saw this truck coming right at me. He wasn’t slowing down!” On May 2, Kris Theoharis was thrown from her bicycle, severely hurt, needing to be medevacked to Christiana Hospital’s Trauma Department in Newark, Delaware. Dennis, Kris’ husband, who did not find out about the accident until hours later was told she was stable at that time, but later learned, upon her arrival to the hospital, her chart listed a much scarier phrase: in extremis. The definition of in extremis? According to Merriam-Webster: in extreme circumstances; at the point of death. Kris is a fighter and survived the accident that left her with a broken femur, a compound fracture of her tibia and fibula, and many other injuries that kept her in the Intensive Care Unit for five days. Surgeons were able to piece together the broken bones in her leg with metal rods and pins. Kris realizes now, “I am lucky to be alive, and they were able to save my right leg! I am very grateful for that!” After two and a half weeks in the trauma center, Kris was able to move to inpatient rehabilitation where the long journey to regain her mobility would begin. Kris is quick to say she was motivated to begin the rehab process and looked forward to the challenges and exercises. She stayed very focused. After three weeks at the facility, she was sent home and was ready to start immediately with her outpatient therapy sessions. Her husband, from his own PT experiences, knew the best place to go and filled her schedule with appointments at Atlantic Physical Therapy, now part of the Phoenix Physical Therapy family, in Selbyville, Delaware. Kris and her husband had been to the clinic before and knew that Bobby Hammond, PT, DPT, Dominick Policare, PT, DPT, Deandre Gordon, Physical Therapy Technician and the rest of the team would take excellent care of her. “On my first day at PT, every single person who would work with me came out to my car to greet me. They looked like angels! That was a good moment for me because I was scared. I knew they would be wonderful, but I didn’t know they would meet me at the car to assist me into the building.” At that moment, Kris knew she made the right decision to place her recovery in the hands of the Selbyville team, but she reveals she was still unsure about the future. “I am an active person. I played pickleball, I dance, I taught a dance fitness class and practice yoga. I said, ‘Bobby, will I walk again?’ Bobby said, ‘not only will you walk, you will dance again, and I will be there the first time you do!” The hard work began right away. “The very first day, I’m in my wheelchair, and Bobby takes me over to the steps. He said I want you to step up on this step. I don’t use the words ‘I can’t’ but I did say ‘I’m having difficulty’. So, he made the step smaller. Everything was progressive.” After several therapy sessions, Bobby surprised Kris. “(He) took my wheelchair and put it out the door and said we are through with that!” Kris couldn’t believe it, but trusted Bobby. She moved onto a walker and could see herself making progress, slowly but surely. Kris spent her sessions lifting weights, using the AlterG treadmill, working on her balance, and finding her confidence again. Kris remembers, “I just kept reaching milestones a little at a time. I spent 3 days a week for 6 weeks working hard. I was always motivated to go to PT!” But things didn’t always go smoothly. Several weeks into Kris’ rehabilitation, it became clear her foot needed special attention. It had become contracted and wouldn’t flatten, making it impossible to walk. “Dominick began manual manipulation on my foot. With me working hard and them doing physical manipulation, it finally went down. I did not need surgery!
Once my foot was down, I could work on the task of walking! After 6 months of PT, I could walk. I worked really hard, and I finally got to ring the (discharge) bell on October 29th. from that to walking!” Kris knows she worked hard but points out she could not have done it alone. “It helped my spirit knowing my family was there for me. I know PT can be a drag…it can be boring, but Bobby and his team were very caring and positive in their approach.” So where would Kris be today, without physical therapy? “I’d be sitting in a recliner watching TV. PT enabled me to look forward to achieving goals. It was the only way for me to walk again and be active. I’m now riding a three-wheel bike. I did 25 minutes against the wind for the first time. I was proud of that. I walked on the boardwalk with my grandchildren. I challenge myself every time I can. I am not yet where I’d like to be in my progress but hope that I can get there!” And Kris meets each challenge head on. One year after her accident, she went back to her favorite dance spot. When she arrived, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Bobby was there with his fiancé. And, as promised, he danced with Kris! It was a happy and emotional time for them both. Bobby looks back on his time with Kris, “Throughout her treatment she displayed tremendous courage and persistence. When things were difficult, she took a moment to be upset but never more than a moment and continued to push forward. There were many days where she thought I was the one helping her but, in reality, she was the one who was helping me continue to push forward. It was her determination that gave me hope that if if she could overcome that, then anything is possible.”
Turning the Clock Back 15 Years: John Senkinc’s Success Story “I had back issues on and off my whole life. Then I messed up my back pretty good. I was desperate.” – John Senkinc, Phoenix PT Patient John Senkinc spends much of his life behind a desk, like many of us. By working this way, eight plus hours a day, John was left with daily aches and pains in his back. He coped for years with the nagging on-and-off again pain until he experienced a major injury while taking care of his aging father in 2015. The pain then turned excruciating. He remembers the diagnosis. “The MRI showed I had stenosis, compressed discs and three bulging discs. I had been going to a chiropractor and a massage therapist and I even tried acupuncture. It wasn’t working. It was getting worse. I finally went to an orthopedic doctor, and he sent me to a pain doctor. That doctor put me on prednisone. But it did no good.” Physical therapy was next on his list of things to try. John’s first PT experience was rough. “The first clinic I went to, you’d meet with the Physical Therapist, and never see them again. You’re put in a big room to do your exercises and maybe someone would check on you. So, I gave up.” John still couldn’t walk 15 feet without being in unbearable pain. A trip in a car was agonizing. Sleep was difficult. “My lower back was in a knot; my leg would go numb. I had a kneeling chair, to take the pressure off my lower back. I had a yoga mat and at lunch, I’d try to stretch my back out. I’d stand at a file cabinet with my laptop because I couldn’t sit. I was in agony all the time. I can understand how people get addicted to medications and get depressed when they live with chronic pain.” Scared for the future, John took matters into his own hands. He reached out to friends and asked them for advice, hoping to find someone with a successful physical therapy experience. It worked. One recommended Phoenix Physical Therapy in Scott Township, Pennsylvania. John’s first appointment with the Scott Township team involved creating a step-by-step plan to relieve his pain and get him back to living his life again. “It was a buildup plan. (The Scott Township clinic) was a small place, allowing for four to five patients at a time, but you also had PTs, and assistants; you weren’t sitting by yourself doing exercises.” During each session, John would meet with his Physical Therapist, lay on moist heating packs, utilize traction machines, and usually add something new each week, “like ankle weights and weight machines. My routine just kept building and building.” John knew this physical therapy experience was different, and would put him on the road to recovery. “The whole experience from the word GO was different. It was more hands on. It was a smaller environment. They spent time right out of the gate to talk to you, look at your problem, talk about why it’s happening, what you can do to fix it, and how you can maintain it. The whole staff over there was very hands on. Just a good experience.” John noticed a difference in his pain level within a couple of weeks. “I could start to feel it loosening, the tension and the tightness kind of coming out. Getting started is hard, but once you feel the difference, you get motivated to feel better and do more. I never missed an appointment. Because I was finally, after so long, starting to feel better. I made the time to go. I was getting my life back. It was a huge deal! Not with drugs, not with surgery.”
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