Success Story – NeuroHope

Client Spotlight: Olivia Garrison

March 2, 2023/in Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

By Lydia Miner, PTA

Olivia Garrison’s life changed forever on April 16th 2022. Less than two months away from her high school graduation, Olivia and her friends were involved in a devasting car crash. She was airlifted to the hospital with severe injuries: a lacerated liver and spleen, torn aorta, broken sternum, broken vertebrae (T1-T9), and a damaged spinal cord that left her paralyzed from the chest down.

The next day, Olivia underwent a 6-hour surgery to repair her broken back. Three days later, she woke up in need of a ventilator to breathe. It would be another five days before her lungs were strong enough to remove the ventilator so she could communicate with her family. She remained in the ICU for 24 days before transferring to a unit of the hospital where she could begin her road to recovery and gain strength to transfer to a rehabilitation hospital.

One month after the accident, Olivia was stable enough to transfer to Community North Rehabilitation Hospital in Indianapolis, where her daily regimen of physical and occupational therapy could begin. For 28 days, she worked with the therapy team at Community to regain her strength and learn how to best navigate her new physical situation. The highlight of her stay was on May 27th when she was able to briefly leave the hospital and attend her high school graduation with the rest of her class.

In June, after nearly a month at the rehabilitation hospital, she was discharged home. Even though she was happy to be home, she knew she needed more therapy and more assistance to continue her recovery. She had made great strides, but was still weak and could only remain upright for a few moments at a time. She was still in a great deal of pain from her injuries, and was in a constant battle with pressure sores. Since she’s been home many of the complications relating to a neurologic injury have continued, including a bone infection, a blood clot, and multiple urinary tract infections.

In June of 2022 Olivia heard about NeuroHope from a therapist, as a unique place to continue the specialized therapy she needed after hospital discharge. She soon enrolled in our therapy and exercise programs – and in the months since, her hard work and smiling face has been a constant in our gym!

It takes months, and sometimes years to maximize recovery from neurologic injury – far more than insurance and traditional healthcare allows, and Olivia’s continued progress inspires us all. She has improved tremendously during her time at NeuroHope, conquering seated balance, floor transfers and standing tolerance.

She’s not done yet! She continues to gain strength as she approaches the one-year mark of her injury, and she works tirelessly with our physical therapy, occupational therapy, and exercise teams. She is an inspiration to all whose lives have changed following a neurological injury, sharing her light with support and encouragement.

Keep it up Liv!

Client Montage Video!

January 16, 2023/in Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

Check out this short video montage of some of NeuroHope’s amazing clients and the hard work they put in everyday!

Client Spotlight: Lonnie Watson’s Recovery from Stroke

February 16, 2022/in Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

By Megan Lashley, Neurorecovery Exercise Specialist

On October 23rd, 2020 Lonnie Watson (L.W.) noticed a strange pain running down his leg. He thought nothing of it and continued about his day. The next morning he began favoring his right side. After making a call to his doctor, L.W. was sent to the Emergency Room. Luckily, Community Hospital was nearby.

He had suffered a stroke, and was admitted to Community North in Indianapolis to begin inpatient rehabilitation. As he started the lengthy process of rehab, the severity of his condition became clear. He no longer had the ability to stand up, or keep his balance on his own. He didn’t have control over his right arm, and he couldn’t coordinate any volitional movement.

“I was told that the first five months after a stroke were the most crucial for recovery, and that was my determination,” says L.W.

L.W. set goals to improve leg strength and balance. He was determined to re-learn how to reach and grasp objects, and he worked tirelessly with his therapists every day. Over the next few weeks in the hospital, he quickly progressed from being reliant on a Hoyer Lift to leave his bed, to the use of a boardslide. Then came steps with a hemi-walker, a rolling walker, and finally a single point cane. He was mobile again and celebrating, but his journey was far from complete.

When he left the hospital, L.W. continued in-home therapy for several months until he hit a recovery wall. He needed to find place where he could continue his progress, and he needed team that understood his condition. Recovery revolves around hard work and determination and L.W. was determined to find structure and steady encouragement to continue his journey.

In April of 2021, L.W. was introduced to NeuroHope and has been part of the NeuroHope community ever since! Over the last year, L.W. has been a dedicated member of NeuroHope’s “Path to Independence” Wellness program, a monthly membership separate from therapy that features specialized fitness plans, open gym access, and group cardio and strengthening classes. L.W. arrives each day with enthusiasm in his soul and progress on his mind. As he continues to work towards his functional goals, L.W. recently exceeded a tremendous personal goal: A 100 pound weight lost since his stroke! And he isn’t finished yet!

You will find L.W.’s customized T-shirt hanging in the NeuroHope gym. It has a logo of the mind and heart intertwined.

“All you need is a determined mind and a willing heart,” L.W. reminds us. “As long as you have those two things, you can do it.”

L.W. is happily retired and married to the love of his life Lolita, of 40 years. He has two children (L.W. Jr. and LaTrice) and eight grandchildren. He is an inspiration to us all.

Keep up the great work, L.W.!

Video: Juan’s Steps Will Make Your Day

June 25, 2021/in Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

Let’s kick off summer with a short video of inspiring clients who CONTINUE to make progress in their recoveries at NeuroHope!

The short video below shows clips of Juan taking steps after his brain injury, Yarnin and Mike using neuromuscular electrical stimulation to improve hand and arm function after stroke, and Lucas and Slade working hard after spinal cord injury. You’ll also notice our Wellness Program in action, which features gym access and group cardio and strength classes.

We recently received an $18,000 grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to boost this program!

Recovery from neurologic injury takes TIME, ACCESS, MOTIVATION, and HARD WORK. This is why we’re here!

Client Spotlight: Jenny Rosebrock

February 22, 2021/in General Blog Posts, Homepage, Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

Over the course of a long career as a nurse, Jenny Rosebrock served many patients recovering from neurologic injuries, but she never imagined she would be on the receiving end of such care. That changed in March of 2020, when Jenny suffered a brainstem stroke causing left side paralysis. It would be the start of a long and grueling road to recovery.

Jenny spent three weeks at a local rehabilitation hospital before she was discharged home. With outpatient clinics closed last spring due to COVID-19, she was not able to begin outpatient therapy at the hospital until June. By the fall, Jenny had made significant gains. She had regained some movement, and could take her first steps with a hemi-walker.

Unfortunately, in October of 2020, just seven months after her stroke, it was determined that Jenny had “plateaued”. Her recovery was deemed complete and she was discharged from rehabilitation. It is a story that is familiar to so many patients battling the rehabilitation process. Neurologic injuries take months, sometimes years, to recover from. NeuroHope was created to help patients like Jenny maximize their recovery. Fortunately, her outpatient therapist recommended NeuroHope so she could continue her progress. (story continued below video)

Over the last four months, Jenny has been a regular in the NeuroHope gym. She has inspired everyone with her enthusiasm, and came up with the idea for our “Key West Challenge”, a therapy and workout challenge involving everyone at NeuroHope that tracks therapy and wellness “miles” on a virtual journey to Florida.

Most importantly, Jenny’s recovery continues! The video above captures the emotional moment when she left her walker behind and took her FIRST STEPS after her stroke.

“I am so grateful to NeuroHope,” Jenny says. “With an atmosphere of positivity and encouragement, and a great staff and facility, I have made progress and can use a walker without a leg brace now. My ‘stroke-aversary’ is in March. As I reflect on the past year, I am thankful for family, friends, my therapists, and for NeuroHope!”

Keep pushing Jenny! This is why we’re here!

Client Spotlight: Tim Owen

September 2, 2020/in General Blog Posts, Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

In March of 2019, 45-year-old Tim Owen was driving his car when he was overcome by a paralyzing stroke. Thanks to quick thinking and the life-saving work of paramedics, he survived. But the effects of the stroke were significant, initially leaving him completely paralyzed on his left side.

Tim’s recovery has been long and tedious. He spent two months at Community Hospital and came to NeuroHope for continued therapy in September of 2019. Over the last 12 months Tim has worked tirelessly in his recovery and made MAJOR strides. One of his more recent goals – GET BACK ON THAT GOLF COURSE!

Check out the inspiring video below of Tim working with Bart and Megan to get his swing back while strengthening his legs and core on a vibration plate AND his FIRST LIVE SWING at Top Golf with his son behind the camera!

Gotta love it. GO TIM!!

Tim is one of the 52 current clients at NeuroHope that is recovering from a life-changing injury or neurologic condition that we provide with continued rehabilitation and exercise programs. Spinal cord injury, brain injury, and stroke take months, or sometimes years to maximize recovery. Unfortunately, most insurance plans limit the amount of therapy coverage each year, and traditional healthcare facilities are unable to provide continued care.

NeuroHope was created to fill the void in care by offering affordable rates for patients AFTER insurance is exhausted so patients like Tim can continue their inspiring journeys and be in a better position to reach their goals.

Client Spotlight: Alexa Cantwell

December 12, 2019/in General Blog Posts, Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

Alexa Cantwell, a 27 year old from Indianapolis, didn’t become a wheelchair-user instantaneously like so many others who injure their spinal cords. Instead, when she was just 8 years old, Alexa sustained a spinal stroke which resulted in a gradual decline in her mobility through her teens.

The spinal stroke caused damage from the C2 to T2 vertabrae. “Because of the nature of the stroke, it took doctors a long time to discover what actually happened,” Alexa says. “I started using AFO leg braces when I was around 10 years old and later used forearm crutches. I didn’t use a wheelchair full-time until I was seventeen.”

Since a spinal stroke can cause an incomplete injury, Alexa’s entire body is affected in some way. She still has some sensation throughout her body. “Just a little less in my legs and feet. I can also move my legs a very small amount,” she says.

When Alexa was 12, her family moved into an accessible home as a precautionary step. By the time she was in her teens she needed to use the elevator and accessible apartment in the basement. “When I was in college, we renovated my bathroom so I could use it independently. We installed a roll-in shower with a bench, a sink I can roll under, and bars by the toilet. I’m so grateful to have a house that I could easily transition to,” Alexa says.

Since her injury was not traumatic, she did not go through traditional specialized neurological rehabilitation. Instead, she was sent to general physical therapy. “Before being at NeuroHope, I had gone to a facility that specialized in helping patients with neurological injuries and conditions, but it was still pretty traditional in a lot of ways. I wasn’t showing enough improvement after a short time so I was discharged.”

Frustrated with the results of therapy, she wanted more and was introduced to NeuroHope when she saw a post on Instagram. “I checked out their page not realizing NeuroHope was in Indiana. I was surprised and excited to find out they were so close to where I lived. I wanted to try out a place that offered something different from traditional physical therapy but everything I found was too far away.”

Alexa has now been coming to NeuroHope for more than a year and has seen exciting results. “I’ve always been drawn to alternative methods instead of the traditional route when it comes to my health, so NeuroHope was right up my alley. One of my favorite things is the Xcite machine (Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation). At my first appointment, I got to use it and stand up with a walker. It felt really good to be on my feet again.”

Now working as a self-employed lifestyle and wellness coach after graduating with writing and business administration degrees, Alexa stays busy with family and friends when she’s not working. “They’re so supportive and I don’t know what I’d do without them,” she says. “I also enjoy serving at church and traveling. I haven’t been out of the country since I’ve been in my chair, but it’s on my bucket list.”

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: Evan Faucett

April 11, 2019/in General Blog Posts, Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

On July 9, 2018, Evan Faucett’s life changed in the blink of an eye. Only a few months after he received his professional motocross license, he crashed during jump at a competition in Kokomo. The spinal cord and brain injury Evan sustained have taken him along a grueling road to recovery. After being discharged from inpatient rehabilitation 17 days after his injury, Evan came to NeuroHope to continue his journey.

He arrives each day with grit in his soul, and a smile on and his face. Watch his story and be inspired!

VIDEO: Dustin Shillcox Explains Epidural Stimulation that Restores Movement after SCI

December 20, 2018/1 Comment/in General Blog Posts, Homepage, News, Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

In 2013, Dustin Shillcox became 1 of the first 4 people in the world to be a part of groundbreaking epidural stimulation research at the University of Louisville. A set of electrodes was surgically implanted onto his spinal cord below the level of his injury and a small power pack was implanted into his abdomen. When the pack is turned on, an electric current is sent to the electrodes, which stimulates his spinal cord into action.

To help them better understand the circuitry of the spinal cord, researchers hoped the stimulation would translate to activity through the nervous system. Incredibly, for Dustin and the three other spinal cord injured patients in the study, the results went well beyond what researchers imagined. In all four patients, bits of voluntary movement were restored, sending shockwaves (no pun intended) through the spinal cord injury community.

Building on the developments over the last several years, epidural stimulation research has expanded and major milestones have been met. The most recent study published earlier this year in Nature and Nature Neuroscience announced unassisted steps took place following the procedure for the first time. These findings have dominated the conversations of people living with spinal cord injuries who yearn for the ability to walk again with stimulators of their own.

Epidural stimulation is still in its infancy, and in any event, its benefits are about much more than walking. It’s also about addressing the secondary complications of spinal cord injury, such as blood pressure issues and skin breakdown, and about staying healthy after injury. And, it involves months of preparation, rehabilitation, and a lifetime of maintenance.

Dustin visited NeuroHope recently to talk about the research, what it means to have the stimulator (which he uses every day), and what it is like to be one of a select few people in the world to have the device embedded into his nervous system. Watch the video below:

I met Dustin in 2011, shortly after his spinal cord injury, and two years before he was selected to be one of the fortunate four in the 2013 study. We were both injured in 2010, and we rehabbed together at Neuroworx in Utah for the better part of 2011 and 2012.

As he mentions in the video above, Dustin and the three participants in the original study had to meet specific criteria to be eligible. Once selected, they were required to participate in 80 Locomotor Training sessions (stepping over a body-weight-support treadmill) before the procedure. Eighty sessions! Just to prepare.

After the devices were implanted, therapy ramped up. For more than a year, daily sessions lasting for hours were underway. Different areas of their legs and core were alternately stimulated. Voltage and intensity changed. Controlled movement and standing was practiced. A myriad of tests and exercises were repeated over and over again. In time, with the stimulation turned on, movement and endurance improved.

But, in spite of what it may sound like, the study and the results were never about a “cure”. It was, and continues to be, experimental research exploring how the nervous system works. It won’t be anytime soon, but maybe someday implanting electrodes into the spinal cord will be a part of the rehabilitation process. That sounds promising – but there’s a glaring problem.

Remember that Dustin had to participate in 80 intense therapy sessions before the procedure, and continued daily visits after the procedure for more than a year. To put it in perspective, most SCI patients receive a grand total of 30 outpatient physical therapy visits per year – if they’re lucky enough to have a good insurance plan.

Even if epidural stimulation, stem cell research, or any other neurologic breakthrough advances to a point it becomes commonplace, a change in the policy of outpatient therapy needs to take effect.

If a magic wand made a cure available tomorrow, long-term rehabilitation programs will need to be available for there to be a benefit.

Right now those programs do not exist in most communities. Hopefully, a paradigm shift is beginning. There are a handful of facilities around the country that understand the need for long-term rehabilitation and wellness for individuals with neurologic injury. NeuroHope has created one in Indiana. Not only so programs are in place for discoveries in the future, but so programs are in place for those who need it now.

Learn more about epidural stimulation, and other SCI research here.

Client Spotlight: Ryan Bardellini

September 12, 2018/in General Blog Posts, News, Success Story/by Chris Leeuw

Less than one year ago, Ryan Bardellini was enjoying his senior year at the International School of Indiana. A standout fencer and student, Ryan’s future plans involved looking at colleges and planning his future. Ryan’s life changed in November of 2017. He was involved in a serious accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury. Ryan was in the hospital for three months, and at an inpatient rehabilitation facility for a few weeks. After his insurance coverage ran out, however, Ryan was discharged, and his recovery slowed.

“He went from having intensive therapy five days a week to being limited to 2 or 3 weekly visits,” says Ryan’s mother Kimberly. “He wasn’t ready to be discharged [from daily therapy], he needed much more.”

Through their own research for resources available to people with brain or spinal cord injuries, the Bardellini’s found NeuroHope to supplement the outpatient visits he was receiving at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI).

Ryan began coming to NeuroHope on days he did not have sessions at RHI so he could receive the most therapy and exercise he could during the critical first year after his injury. In March of 2018, Ryan was still significantly paralyzed on his right side and was just re-learning to take small steps with a walker. NeuroHope’s therapists and trainers have paid particular attention to his weaknesses and fragile gait pattern over the last 6 months, and have pushed him through vibration plate balancing, electrical stimulation, treadmill training, and core exercises.

By May of 2018, Ryan had gained significant return on his right side and had become strong enough to walk on his own across the stage at his high school graduation. Ryan’s journey, attitude, and hard work have been nothing short of inspiring. He has come far in his life-changing journey, but he is not finished yet. Today, he continues to work with NeuroHope’s trainers, who push him to continue to improve his balance, coordination, and overall strength. And college plans are right around the corner! He’s been accepted to Purdue University and is taking his first class this semester with an eye on returning as a full-time student soon.

As an accomplished fencer – his next goal is get back back on the strip!