Success Stories

Her condition was very critical, and she required complete assistance from caregivers for all her needs. Despite the significant challenges and complications she faced, Marcia made progress with constant support from her family and friends who were always at her side. Under the care of a dedicated team working together to strengthen her lungs, improve heart and kidney function, and restore her mobility, Marcia was weaned off the vent and began recovering her speech and independence. Her rehab therapists helped her recover fine motor skills and strength, allowing Marcia increased mobility and self-reliance. With her family faithfully at her side, Marcia was soon back on her feet and walking with a rolling walker. Having met all of her recovery goals, she was ready to be discharged and eager to complete her recovery journey before returning home.

“I love the staff that cared for me here at Kindred so much I want to take them home with me!” Marcia said before she was left Kindred.

He was diagnosed with increased cerebrospinal fluid volume that required a specialized drain to alleviate the pressure on his brain. Thomas also developed pneumonia and respiratory failure that required IV antibiotic therapy and placement on a ventilator. He remained at the acute care facility until he could be transferred to Kindred Hospital Sycamore for respiratory therapy, ongoing medical care and rehabilitation. At the beginning, Thomas was still unresponsive and required complete assistance for all his needs. His wife, Nancy, was at his side every day and played music for him which had an amazing effect as he began to tap his hand to the music and started to regain consciousness. From this point forward, Thomas staged an incredible recovery and with help from his respiratory team was able to be taken off the ventilator. He then worked with his rehab team and regained the ability to stand and began to walk with a rolling walker as well as begin to enjoy a regular diet.

“Thank you to everyone who helped with my husband’s recovery,” Nancy shared. We are all so happy he is able to move on to the next step of his journey and hopefully back home soon!”

He had extensive injuries and had to be intubated as he was being transported to the ER. Due to the fact that he was riding without a helmet he sustained severe injuries and fractures to his skull and he also had several fractured ribs. Emergency physicians placed drainage tubes and were able to stabilize his condition, and eventually Lawrence was transferred to Kindred Hospital Sycamore for respiratory therapy, ongoing medical care and rehabilitation. At first Lawrence was not able to understand commands and was extremely confused and disoriented. As he began to regain his mental faculties he started to make progress toward his recovery and became motivated and engaged with his respiratory and rehab therapists. Lawrence was able to be weaned from the ventilator and regained his strength and mobility, allowing him to stand and walk and reclaim his independence over the tasks of daily life.

“I’m going to miss everyone here,” Lawrence said before he was discharged from Kindred. “I look forward to going home and getting back on my bike again, although my mom doesn’t think that’s a good idea right now!”

When he first arrived, he was still in a very delicate condition and required full assistance form his caregivers for all his needs, but Jason was also highly motivated and eager to recover and he started to make progress immediately. He first was weaned successfully from the ventilator and then he quickly regained his strength and mobility with help from his rehab team. Within a short time after his admission, Jason was up on his feet and once again able to take care of the tasks of daily life. Having met all of the recovery goals his team set for him, Jason was able to be discharged to return home with his wife.

“I am so glad to be going home, thank you all!” Jason shared before he left Kindred.

His condition remained critical until he was finally able to be stabilized and could be transferred to Kindred Hospital Louisville to receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. With family members at his side, and staff providing constant encouragement, Randy progressed to breathing without the aid of the ventilator. He then worked with his rehab team and steadily recovered his strength and mobility. By the time he was ready to be discharged, Randy was able to walk with minimal assistance and had reclaimed his independence over the activities of daily life.

“This has been a humbling experience as there was a time when I couldn’t even hold my wife’s hand,” Randy shared before he was discharged. “My respiratory therapist, Shannetta, has been a blessing. I’m very grateful to Sari who listened to me when I was having a rough time, and to Genavieve who could always make me laugh, and to all the great people here who helped me recover. I can’t wait to see my house again, and meet my grandson who was born in December. I missed a lot of important dates and moments, and there’s just a lot for me to get caught up on.”

He was still dependent on a ventilator and also unconscious when he first arrived. As he started to recover his lung strength, Michael became encouraged about his progress and was soon able to be taken off the ventilator. He then worked with his speech pathologist and rehab therapists to use his voice again, start a regular diet, and stand up and start walking with the aid of a rolling walker.

“I’m very happy I can do things for myself again,” Michael shared before he was discharged. “It’ll take me a little longer to get back to full strength but I’m happy to be more independent and can’t wait to get back home!”

He was diagnosed with COVID-19 and had to be placed on a ventilator as his lungs failed. During his stay at the acute care facility Anthony developed additional complications due to the serious viral infection, and he remained at the hospital until he was finally stabilized and was able to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Sycamore. As soon as Anthony had arrived and was settled in his respiratory therapists began to work with him to increase his lung strength, and their efforts paid off when he no longer needed the support from the ventilator to breathe. Rich then started to makes significant progress with his rehab team and day by day gained more strength and mobility until he was able to get up from bed, stand up and begin walking once again. Anthony also regained the ability to get back his independence over the tasks of daily life and looked forward to going home with his family.

“With the great care I received at Kindred I was able to turn this around in a pretty short amount of time,” Anthony affirmed. “My family also played an important part in my recovery and I can’t wait to get back home.”

Once she had been stabilized, she was able to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Sycamore where she could receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. Although Maria was very weak from her illness and surgery, she had high hopes of getting better and she put her heart into her recovery. Together with her team of caregivers, Maria was able to progress from success to success – starting with her being able to wean from the ventilator and once again breathe on her own. Her next accomplishments were to regain her voice and begin to get back her strength and independence with help from her physical and occupational therapists. Now able to stand on her own and do all the tasks of a daily living, Maria was excitedly looking forward to going home and meeting her baby girl for the first time.

“It feels so good to use my legs again – even if they are still a little shaky!” Maria shared before she was discharged. “I’m grateful for the care you gave me here and I can’t wait to finally meet my baby girl.”

After it became increasingly difficult to breathe, she went to the ER and was admitted so she could be placed on an assisted breathing device to support her lungs as she began to receive treatment. Her condition deteriorated, however, and she had to be placed on a ventilator and remained at the acute care facility until she had been stabilized and was taken off mechanical ventilation. She was then transferred to Kindred Hospital Sycamore where she began to receive respiratory therapy to strengthen her lungs and was able to have the breathing tube removed. She made excellent progress with her physical and occupational therapists and began to regain her strength and mobility so she could meet her goal of returning home. By the time she was discharged Berenice was back on her feet and able to take care of the activities of daily life.

“I did it and got myself a ticket back home!” Berenice affirmed just before she was discharged. Her team of caregivers celebrated her recovery and let her know how proud everyone was at her success.

He was rushed to an acute care facility where he was placed on a ventilator after being diagnosed with COVID-19. James was started on antibiotics and treatments to stabilize his condition, and once he was able to be transferred he came to Kindred Hospital Sycamore for continued medical management, respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. With the goal of restoring his normal lung function and helping him regain his independence, James’ multidisciplinary team began to work with him immediately after he was admitted and he started to recover. The first major milestone was reached when James was able to be taken off the ventilator. He then he made steady progress with his rehab team – getting back the strength and mobility he had lost until he was back up on his feet, walking with the aid of a walker, drinking and eating a regular diet, and once again being able to take care of the activities of daily life. “It was a rough road and I don’t remember much before coming to Kindred,” James shared before being discharged to return home to his family. “But I will remember everyone who cared for me – you’re like my new family! Everyone has been so supportive and helpful throughout my stay and I’m happy and ready to go home. I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again.”

Once he had been stabilized he was transferred to Kindred Hospital Sycamore to receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. In addition to the challenges and difficulties presented by his recovery, Larry was also sad to be missing out on the holidays with his family, but he applied himself to his recovery and he steadily made progress in all areas of his treatment plan. His first milestone was to successfully be liberated from the ventilator, followed by strengthening and mobility therapy in the rehab gym, which allowed him to regain his independence over the activities of daily life before he was able to be discharged from Kindred to return home. Just recently, Larry came by Kindred to share his gratitude and progress with his team of caregivers. “It was great to be surprised like this by a visit from Larry!” shared Tina, the patient advocate. “The best part was that he said he just wanted to come by and say hello and show us how well he was doing, and show us that he was up and walking. We were so happy to see him and proud that Larry is doing so well!”

He had suffered respiratory failure which required him to be placed on a ventilator and was also in septic shock and had to start a course of antibiotic therapy. When he first arrived, Manuel was very weak and still dependent on the ventilator. His respiratory therapists immediately began to work to strengthen his lungs and Manuel responded very well. In less than a week he was able to be taken off the ventilator and required only supplemental oxygen to continue supporting his lungs. He also made excellent progress with his rehab therapists and regained his mobility and independence over the simple tasks of daily life, allowing him to reach his recovery goals and be discharged home to continue getting better with help from his wife, who received training on how to manage his oxygen and assist with his ongoing recovery.

“Thank you all,” Manuel affirmed before being discharged. “I am so happy to be going home.”