Success Stories

She was admitted to a general hospital, placed on high-flow oxygen and diagnosed with chronic respiratory failure and lower extremity cellulitis. After she was stabilized, Jane transferred to Kindred Hospital Tarrant County – Ft. Worth Southwest for respiratory therapy and physical and occupational rehabilitation. Highly motivated to recover, Jane made steady progress as her respiratory team progressively weaned her from high-flow oxygen to supplemental amounts. As she became stronger and her lungs recovered, Jane could breathe normally again without needing oxygen. Her rehab team helped Jane regain mobility, allowing her to reclaim her independence over daily tasks and walk with a rolling walker. Having met all the goals set for her at the time of admission, Jane was overjoyed when informed she would be able to go home with her family.

“I am so very grateful to all my caregivers,” Jane shared before she left Kindred. “My daughter Wendy was also an incredible motivator. I relied on my faith and I know I had help from my prayer groups.”

She was fortunate to survive, but Karen suffered numerous fractures, contusions and traumatic injuries. She also had to be placed on a ventilator and started on dialysis as her lungs and kidneys were failing. After undergoing several surgical procedures, Karen was successfully stabilized and was then transferred to Kindred Hospital Tarrant County - Fort Worth Southwest. No longer on a ventilator, Karen still depended on supplemental oxygen and required dialysis when she began to receive care from an interdisciplinary team that worked to strengthen her lungs, heal her numerous wounds and help her recover her strength and mobility. With support from her family who was constantly at her side, and diligent care from her team, Karen made steady progress and was successfully weaned from supplemental oxygen and dialysis. Unable to even sit up at the beginning of her stay, Karen was now able to propel herself in a wheelchair and begin managing the activities of daily life with moderate assistance.

“I guess I’m what you would call a miracle for surviving a head-on crash like I did,” Karen said before she was discharged. “I am thankful to my caregivers and therapists and everyone who helped me recover. My family kept me strong and motivated me by being with me all the time, even when I went to therapy. I look forward to going home after I fully recover and complete additional therapy.”

She was dependent on high flow oxygen and was severely weakened from her illness. Melanie’s care was complicated as she had a fractured arm in a brace, and at the beginning of her stay she was also highly disoriented and confused. Her team of caregivers helped her recovery get underway, and she began to respond and interact with her therapists and nurses as her lung function improved. Melanie made steady progress, recovering her independence over the basic tasks of daily life and her overall strength and mobility. From being bedbound and dependent for all her needs when she first arrived, Melanie was now able to stand and begin walking with a rolling walker, dress herself and manage most everything else with only minimal assistance.

“I want to thank everyone who cared for me while I was here at Kindred,” Melanie shared before she was discharged. “My husband was my biggest supporter and he helped to make sure that I participated in all my activities.”

He underwent surgery and started chemotherapy, and when he had been stabilized was transferred to Kindred Hospital Tarrant County – Fort Worth Southwest for respiratory therapy, ongoing medical treatment, wound care and rehabilitation. When Richard first arrived he was unable to tolerate even moderate activity and was dependent on high-flow oxygen and his caregivers for all his needs. With aggressive respiratory therapy Richard’s lungs improved and he began to be able to participate more fully in his rehab therapy sessions. His wound care nurse oversaw the healing of his surgical sites, and with help from his speech language pathologist Richard regained the ability to speak and swallow and he was started on a modified diet. Within a month after his arrival, Richard was back on his feet and walking with a rolling walker, independent over all the tasks of daily life and looking forward to returning home.

“After I came through my surgery I began to believe I was going to be alright,” Richard shared before he was discharged. “I want to thank all of the staff here at Kindred that helped me get to this point.”

She was diagnosed with pneumonia and respiratory failure and was started on high-flow oxygen and treatments to stabilize her condition. As soon as she was able to be transferred to a long-term acute care facility, Lisa was brought to Kindred Hospital Tarrant County – Fort Worth Southwest to receive ongoing care, respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. Initially, Lisa was extremely debilitated and required maximum levels of assistance from her caregivers for all her needs, but she was highly motivated to recover so she could return home and actively participated in all of her therapy and rehab sessions. Lisa made steady progress under the care of her interdisciplinary team and no longer required supplemental oxygen. She was also able to reclaim her independence over the activities of daily life and began walking with the aid of a rolling walker and eating and drinking a regular diet.

“I am thankful to all the staff that cared for me and assisted me in achieving my goal of going home with my daughter,” Lisa said before she was discharged. “I had a lot of people praying for my recovery, and when I was able to get up without assistance and walk to the bathroom I knew things were going to be all right and I was going to recover.”

Once she had been admitted to an acute care facility she was diagnosed with a bowel obstruction and subsequently developed respiratory failure, requiring her to be placed on a ventilator. She also was diagnosed with an irregular heart rhythm and began to wear a LifeVest device that monitored the function of her heart. After she had received treatment, was weaned from the ventilator to high-flow oxygen and had been stabilized, Terri was able to be transferred to Kindred Hospital Tarrant County – Fort Worth Southwest where she could receive wound care, respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. Terri was anxious about her condition and course of treatment at the beginning, but with reassurance and dedicated care from her team at Kindred, Terri began to improve and became engaged. Within a few weeks Terri had progressed to breathing normally without needing supplemental oxygen, her wound was healing well, and she had regained her mobility and independence and was able to stand and walk with a rolling walker.

“I had a lot of prayer warriors on my side,” Terri shared before she was discharged. “Thank you to all who cared for me – I am deeply grateful and now I can look forward to going home soon.”

Alejandro had to be placed on a ventilator and subsequently developed additional complications that included a GI bleed, gangrene and acute kidney failure. As his condition worsened, his family in Spain was advised to come as soon as possible as Alejandro was not expected to survive, and even if he did they were told he might have to have his feet, hands and nose amputated. He was able to be taken off the ventilator and transferred to Kindred Hospital Tarrant County - Fort Worth Southwest for ongoing care and rehabilitation and started to receive care from an interdisciplinary team. Although Alejandro was weak and his prognosis uncertain, he was highly motivated to recover and participated eagerly with all his therapy sessions, and he progressed from needing supplemental oxygen to breathing normally. With his rehab team he steadily regained his strength and a greater range of mobility and independence, and by the time he was discharged to Kindred Hospital Sugar Land to receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) he was able to transfer to a wheelchair and propel himself and begin to use his feet as well.

“I wasn’t willing to die or give up hope and it was a combination of everything that helped me recover and survive,” Alejandro shared. “My wife was a big part of my recovery, and when I learned that I was just being kept alive on life support so my parents could come and say good bye was heartbreaking. I am so glad I was able to survive this and am grateful to all the staff here who assisted me.”

She was treated by an interdisciplinary team including physicians, nurses and rehabilitation therapists. Her boyfriend, Ronnie, was always by her side, and as she recovered he wanted to demonstrate his commitment in the strongest way -- by proposing to and marrying Drescilla while she was still in the hospital, with the staff participating.

He was placed on high-flow oxygen and remained at the facility until he could be transferred to Kindred Hospital Tarrant County - Fort Worth Southwest. At the beginning of his stay, David had difficulty participating in his rehab sessions as his oxygen levels would drop quickly, and he was only able to sit up on the edge of the bed for a few seconds. His respiratory therapists helped him regain his lung strength and he progressed steadily until he was finally able to be taken off high-flow oxygen. David then was able to work more diligently with this rehab team and was soon back up on his feet, walking with the assistance of a rolling walker and able to take care of all the activities of daily life./p>

“I am grateful to all the staff for assisting me and helping me to progress to the point where I am now and discharge to return home to my family,” David shared before he left Kindred. “When COVID hit me, it hit me hard and it caused me great anxiety because I lost control - I had thoughts that I might not survive. I just want people who don’t believe in getting the vaccine to know that they would surely change their minds if they knew the problems it can cause. One of the best things to happen to me while at Kindred was when I was able to be taken off the high-flow oxygen and breathe on my own.”

He was dependent on high-flow oxygen to support his lungs and was extremely weak, requiring maximum levels of assistance from his caregivers. Danny also developed additional complications including pneumonia and an irregular heartbeat due to the virus. With diligent work from his respiratory therapists and medical team, Danny was able to move out of the ICU and made steady progress until he no longer needed supplemental oxygen and could breathe on his own. His rehab team then helped Danny recover his strength and mobility and by the time he was ready to be discharged, Danny was back on his feet, independent in all the activities of daily life, and ready to go home with his wife.

“I am very grateful to all the staff here at Kindred,” Danny shared before he left the facility. “I loved seeing people on a mission to help others get better. As I was recovering from cancer treatments I was worried how COVID would affect me, but I had faith that I would recover and would be able to return to my life.”

When he first arrived he was still dependent on high-flow oxygen and was very weak, requiring assistance from his caregivers for all his needs. As his respiratory therapists worked with him, Dennis became stronger and progressed to needing only supplemental oxygen and then breathing normally. Dennis then applied himself to his rehabilitation and made steady progress, recovering his mobility and independence with help from his rehab team. By the time Dennis was ready to be discharged to return home, he was independent in all the activities of daily life and walking without assistance.

“I am so very grateful to the staff here at Kindred Southwest for the care I received and for helping me recover quickly,” Dennis shared. “I had a lot of family and friends praying for me.”

She was diagnosed with COVID-19 and had to be placed on a ventilator and then had to be flown to an acute care facility in Houston. When she had been stabilized, she was transferred to Kindred Hospital Tarrant County - Fort Worth Southwest where she could receive respiratory therapy and rehabilitation. Although she no longer needed the ventilator, Melissa still required high-flow oxygen, was extremely weak, and she also experienced cardiac complications. Her team of therapists and caregivers worked together and she made excellent progress, receiving constant support from her spouse who was always at her side. Her first major success was achieved when she was able to be taken off supplemental oxygen. Melissa then was able to participate more actively in her rehab therapy sessions and was well on her way to getting back her independence and mobility by the time she was discharged.

“I am grateful to all the staff here for the care you gave me while hospitalized,” Melissa shared before she left Kindred. “One of the best moments was when the feeding tube was removed and I was able to eat real food again!”

He had been placed on a ventilator and initiated treatment at the acute care facility, and once he arrived at Kindred his respiratory therapists started to work with him to reduce his dependence on the ventilator. Asencion responded quickly and was able to be taken off the ventilator completely. He then initiated physical and occupational therapy, with special attention given to his right shoulder, which had sustained an injury during his illness, and in regaining his strength. Eager to recover and get back to his home and family, Asencion made excellent progress and was soon up on his feet, able to walk and climb stairs and get back his independence and take care of all the tasks of daily living.

“I am grateful to all the staff here at Kindred that helped me get this far,” Asencion said before he was discharged to complete additional rehab before returning home. “I am looking forward to completing the last part of my rehab and can’t wait to be back home with my wife!”

His respiratory team immediately began to administer an aggressive treatment plan, although at the beginning Bobby had to be positioned face-down when he was not doing therapy or getting up from bed to allow his lungs to recover. Although Bobby was able to sit up on the side of his bed, he could barely tolerate up to a minute before having to lie down due to his weakened state and impaired lung function. With the support of his entire team of caregivers and a positive attitude and strong desire to get better, Bobby began to make progress quickly with each day showing new gains in all areas of his recovery. Then, in just under a month after his arrival, Bobby was able to stand and walk with only the aid of a walker, and he had regained independence over all the activities of daily life.

“Thank you to all the staff at Kindred for helping me recover from the coronavirus so I can return home to be with my family,” Bobby stated before he was discharged. “I am especially thankful to the rehab and respiratory staff for helping me get back on my feet!”

At the beginning of his stay at Kindred, Jeff required full assistance from his team of caregivers for all his needs and was experiencing cognitive difficulties as a result of his head injury. With patience, dedication and hard work from everyone on his team, Jeff began to make progress in this and all areas of his recovery and was able to be weaned from the ventilator. He then progressed to drinking and eating a regular diet and made excellent gains with his physical and occupational therapists. In the rehab gym Jeff was helped a great deal by the LiteGait therapeutic device that assisted him in recovering his sense of balance and the ability to start to use his legs to walk again. By the time he was discharged to continue with his rehabilitation, Jeff had recovered a great deal of his independence over the activities of daily life and was hopeful about the next step of his journey.

“My family and I are very grateful to everyone here at Kindred for helping to jump start my recovery,” Jeff affirmed before leaving the facility. “I’m looking forward to continuing to improve and get my health back so I can return home.”