By
guest blogger Brian Heiser
Everyone has a Story
Since I've been in the physical therapy
community, I have come across many stories and have met many people along the
way. Some of the stories are humorous and some are very sad. I have met some very courageous veterans who
stormed the beaches of Normandy and later fought in the Battle of the Bulge. I have met very wealthy people and some
extremely poor people. I have met people
who have no one else to talk to but me and are grateful that someone cares
enough to listen to their story. I have
met individuals who after their stroke cannot even use the bathroom without
assistance but are happy that they are still alive. Out of all the patients I have met over the
past couple years; I had a patient today that has inspired me more than any
other person since I have started. I
will call him Joe; I cannot put his name in writing. Here is his story.
Joe
Today, I met an 18 year old college student
named Joe. He is not your average 18 year
old male. Joe is a very quiet
introverted person. He was raised by
both parents who are both high school teachers. He was not the star QB on his high school
football team neither was he a popular person. Joe is the kind of person that is extremely book
smart and plays a lot of video games. He
did not have many friends.
Joe started his freshman year of college in
the fall of 2012 at the age of 17. Since
he was younger than the rest of the freshman class with a shy personality, Joe
did not make friends. Although he had a
strong family relationship, Joe was lost and felt as if he was alone in this
world.
This past March, Joe attempted suicide by
jumping off the top of his five story dorm building. He sustained an L3-L4 burst fracture in his
lower back and shattered the bones in his ankle. He was in the hospital for several weeks. He sustained a partial spinal cord injury and
was told he would be unable to functionally walk again and would be wheelchair
bound for the rest of his life due to the nature of his injury.
Small Steps
Today while attending a neuro clinic, I had
the opportunity to work with and observe this patient. He has been working on walking with bilateral
ankle-foot orthosis in the parallel bars.
Although he has been able to move his feet forward, his walking is nonfunctional
because he bears all of his weight through his arms onto the parallel bars. Today it was decided to see if Joe could
ambulate with a front wheeled walker outside of the parallel bars making him
more functional in his house and community. We set up the walker and assisted him in standing.
Joe began to walk. His first walk was 16 feet and his second walk
was 25 feet.
At the end of treatment, Joe's dad arrived to
take him home. Although Joe was
exhausted by the end of treatment, we insisted that he walk so his father could
see. Joe agreed to give it one last
shot. He stood up gathered himself and
proceeded to walk - he proceeded to walk across the clinic one step in front of
the other. With every step all members
of the staff and other patients became silent and began to watch. When Joe was unable to walk any further the
entire clinic applauded Joe. His dad was
amazed, in shock and in tears. He videotaped
the entire journey his son made walking and at the end they hugged and embraced
each other. Joe had walked 50 feet.
In Darkness there
is Light
I did not know this patient nor had I worked
with him before. I will only have this one
opportunity to work with him and he taught me more lessons and inspired me in more
ways than any other patient. Joe
perceived himself to be a nobody, a loner, a loser. He sensed he was going nowhere in life and
had hit rock bottom. The only way he
thought he could end his self-perceived terrible life was to jump off of a
building. I'm sure there are more reasons
to why he decided to jump off which I will never know.
Even in someone’s darkest hour comes light.
When Joe hit rock bottom, the Lord blessed him with a second chance at life. By giving Joe this second chance and giving
him the strength and courage to beat the odds Joe has inspired me in many ways.
I understand that attempted suicide is
not something to be inspired by but to bounce back from his darkest moment the
way he has speaks volumes. It’s not
where you are in life and what you have done but it’s where you are going and
how you get there that shows the true character of a man. Although Joe struggled in the beginning he has
bounced back and proved his doctors wrong. 50 feet doesn't seem like that much but to Joe
it was everything.
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having
stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has
promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
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