Skip to Content (press ENTER)

Patient Stories

As a national leader in rehabilitative care, Spaulding Rehabilitation helps patients find their strength every day. But it's the words and experiences of our patients that best describe what our services can really do.

Our patient stories provide a look inside the outstanding rehabilitative services available through our network of world-class providers. We invite you to read these compelling and unforgettable stories — and learn how our rehabilitative care has changed people's lives.

Don't bet against our patients' will and determination.

Gifts to Spaulding support our patients and families as they build new futures. Throughout Spaulding’s history, we have improved the lives of thousands of people. Together, and with your generous donations, we will continue to discover and deliver the best care possible — today and tomorrow.

Sort By:

1 to 10 of 85
  • Patient Story

    Meet Erica | A Spaulding Registered Nurse

    Erica Foley, RN, is combining two of her passions in her current role as Nurse Educator at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge (SHC). After graduating from Boston University, Erica began her career as a teacher in the Brighton school system and later worked as a nanny. She had always been interested in the medical profession and enrolled in Simmons College where she graduated with a BSN. She started working in the Admissions office at SHC, then moved to a nursing position on 4 South, then onto Charge Nurse. Her professional path continuing to rise on a leadership tract, Erica was focused on the needs of floor nurses. What do new nurses need to do their jobs well? What challenges do they face? What can leadership do to help nurses succeed? Motivated by questions like these, Erica was encouraged by her manager to pursue a Master's degree through the Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) on-line degree program. Having investigated other advanced degree programs, she found that the SNHU program had more content that could be customized to her specific interests. The classes were applicable and focused specifically on her professional development tract. It wasn't going to be easy- it will take Erica about 2

  • Patient Story

    Meet Tim: From Stroke Survivor to Marathon Runner

    Winter 2022 In October 2019, Tim Rafferty entered the gym, like he did most days. An active lifestyle was core to who he was — he loved running, snowboarding, bike riding and CrossFit. But that day at the gym, his life would change forever. Tim experienced a hemorrhagic stroke that resulted in paralysis of his left side. He was rushed to acute care, where the prognosis was grim. He was told it was unlikely he’d ever regain movement in his left side. It was a heartbreaking time for the 36-year-old and his family. But then Tim was admitted to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where he met Dan, Elise and Pauline – three people he would spend the next year of his life with. People who would restore Tim’s hope and help him achieve previously unimaginable goals. “They were with me every step of the way,” Tim says. “Seeing other patients working so hard to achieve their goals, and seeing the clinicians matching that effort, made me inspired and determined in my own recovery.” After his time as an inpatient at Spaulding, Tim was walking very cautiously and slowly, with a cane for support. He told Dan about his goal to return to his active lifestyle, listing his favorite

  • Patient Story

    Meet Sierra: Helping Others After Traumatic Brain Injury

    On a summer day in 2020, Sierra Longmoore was in a life-altering car accident. The 17-year-old sustained a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), skull fractures, collapsed lungs, and a stroke. She was air-lifted to the hospital, where she was not expected to survive the night. Sierra made it through, but she remained in a coma for five weeks. Sierra came to Spaulding Rehabilitation in Boston in a minimally conscious state and with no left side movement. After her TBI, she needed to relearn everyday abilities, like how to speak, eat, and walk again. Her determined, compassionate team at Spaulding was ready to help. While at Spaulding, Sierra had surgery scheduled to replace a portion of her skull — but it was postponed for medical reasons, a difficult moment for her entire family. The next day, Sierra’s undaunted physical therapist said, “Today is the day you’re going to walk.” Her mother, Amy, was unsure. But Sierra took six steps — and Amy thought, “She can do this.” Sierra made great strides in her recovery--and now helps others in their own journeys Sierra rehabilitated at Spaulding for two months. It was a three-hour drive from where her family — mom, dad, Sierra’s twin, and three other siblings —

  • Patient Story

    Meet Sarah: Honoring Mom with a Marathon

    Spring 2022 Sarah Taft decided to run the 126th Boston Marathon on Spaulding’s Race for Rehab team for one main reason: to honor her mother, Terry. After contracting a viral brain infection in the fall of 2019, Terry spent six weeks inpatient at Spaulding Boston. The virus had significantly impaired her motor function, memory and comprehension; however, members of her Spaulding care team were determined to find ways to bring Terry back. While Sarah was never a runner before this year, her mother completed three Boston Marathons before having four kids. Early in Terry’s time at Spaulding, she was struggling to engage with her care team and become active again. Sarah remembers one day when Terry’s physical therapist, Gauge, persisted in chatting with an unresponsive Terry. Gauge commented on Terry’s sneakers, a blue pair of Brooks that she had been wearing for years, and how he heard they were a great brand to run in. All of a sudden, Terry perked up and said, “Well, I ran three marathons, did you know that?” Gauge was then able to use this interest to keep motivating Terry through her recovery. “My mom always told me that you have to stop focusing on the little stuff and

  • Patient Story

    Sandrick: Encontrando esperanza en Spaulding

    Read this story in English. Otoño 2022 Sandrick (sentado), rodeado de su familia y equipo de atención médica. La historia de Sandrick con Spaulding comenzó cuando una celebración familiar en Montreal se convirtió en tragedia. Mientras se dirigían a casa después de una fiesta de cumpleaños, Sandrick, con sus 14 años, y su familia estuvieron trágicamente involucrados en un tiroteo sin sentido. Una bala atingió el abdomen de Sandrick y se alojó en su espalda, paralizando al adolescente y dañando su riñón, bazo y pulmones. El pasó semanas en cuidados intensivos en Canadá y en el Massachusetts General Hospital antes de venir a Spaulding para su rehabilitación. Sandrick se dedicó a su rutina de rehabilitación. Con la ayuda de aparatos ortopédicos especializados y equipos de rehabilitación de vanguardia como el sistema de soporte de peso corporal ZeroG, los proveedores podrían colocar a Sandrick en una posición de pie durante parte de sus sesiones de terapia, mejorando su progreso en volver a aprender a caminar. "El personal de Spaulding fue excepcional", dijo su padre, Ricardo. "Sandrick ha progresado mucho". Ahora tiene movilidad en sus piernas y sueña con volver a jugar al baloncesto. Como muchos de nuestros pacientes, Sandrick y su familia se consolaron con la compasión

  • Patient Story

    Meet Sam: Coordinated Care, Every Step of the Way

    Sudden health issues can derail your life. But with help from a skilled rehabilitation care team, patients like Sam can get back to living life to the fullest. Sam—who lives in Hingham with his wife, Lauren, and their three children—was diagnosed in 2023 with glioblastoma, a fast-growing brain cancer. Last fall, he experienced a brain bleed and was rushed to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for emergency surgery. He transferred to Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care Cambridge, and after 10 days he was able to “graduate” to our new Acute Rehabilitation Unit (ARU) for his continued recovery. At Spaulding Cambridge—and especially in our new ARU—our care teams work closely with patients and families, developing partnerships that help them progress in their recoveries. “Sam’s care team was so thorough and compassionate,” says Lauren. “At a very vulnerable time in our family’s life, they went above and beyond.” Sam adds, “They saw Lauren as a central part of my care team—which she absolutely is!” As someone with a complex medical condition, Sam was impressed by how Spaulding treats the whole person. Our staff are devoted to each patient and their care plan, with a commitment to helping people regain functionality in a setting tailored to

  • Patient Story

    Meet Robert Lewis, Jr. | A Spaulding Story of Strength

    COVID-19 survivor and Spaulding patient Robert Lewis, Jr. shares his journey: from diagnosis with the novel coronavirus through his rehabilitation at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge—and what it means to him to be back at work at the community outreach organization he founded in Boston. My COVID-19 Recovery—As Told by Robert Lewis, Jr. I’m not sure how I expected to feel when I turned 60 years old last spring, but I didn’t anticipate a trip to the emergency department. I certainly didn’t expect to be sedated, intubated, and wake up 12 days later. But on March 22—my 60th birthday— that’s what happened. It was the beginning of my COVID-19 journey. It was an intense and frightening time. When I was moved to Spaulding Hospital Cambridge for rehabilitation after three weeks of acute care, I had to relearn…everything: how to breathe without an oxygen tank; how to walk; how to touch my nose and tie my sneakers. I had to get my strength back. What struck me about Spaulding was the incredible treatment that I—and my family—received from everyone there, from the moment I arrived until I walked out just one week later. There’s a culture of love and compassion and excellence that radiates from every person. Trust

  • Patient Story

    Meet Priya: Finding Strength Again with Spaulding

    Fall 2023 | Oct 19, 2023 Priya Greene was on her second round of in vitro fertilization in 2019 when she developed severe pancreatitis and was rushed to the emergency room. She needed extensive surgery and spent five weeks in the ICU. Priya was so weakened that she couldn’t lift her feet from her bed. No one knew if she would be able to live independently. It was a terrifying time for Priya and her husband, Rodney. Priya came to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cambridge determined to regain her strength and her life. At first, a small victory was standing up for a minute. Priya’s care team of occupational and physical therapists focused on building her endurance — and a month later, stood by cheering as Priya climbed to the top of multiple flights of stairs. Priya and her care team brought purpose to one another, trading stories of shared interests — including her registered dietician’s love of running. “I lived vicariously through Ginny’s training runs. It kept me excited,” says Priya. She credits her care team’s strength as playing a critical role in her recovery. Now Priya plans to run a half marathon with Ginny next year, to pay it forward by raising

  • Patient Story

    Meet Pierce

    Para leer esta historia en español, visite nuestra página en el Internet. Who was by your side when you achieved a major goal? For Pierce Scroggins, it was his Spaulding physical therapist Eric, who ran with Pierce as he completed a 5K race in his hometown of Pembroke, MA. It was an important milestone for 25-year-old Pierce, who had lost all ability to move, speak, or eat just two years before. Our donor community was with Pierce, too. Gifts to Spaulding provides resources and support to help patients like Pierce achieve their goals. In 2018, just after Pierce graduated college with a mechanical engineering degree, a severe headache uncovered an extremely rare, cancerous tumor at his brain stem. He spent the next eight months in hospitals, including Spaulding Cambridge and Boston, undergoing multiple brain surgeries and chemotherapy. Pierce was determined to get better. He relearned to walk. He went home. And then the cancer came back. Suddenly, Pierce had a new goal: get strong enough to receive a life-saving bone marrow transplant and subsequent proton radiation. He achieved that critical milestone with the help of his Spaulding outpatient therapy team and then began the work to get back to his pre-cancer activities. “In addition to running a

  • Patient Story

    Meet Paul C: Sharing His Strength

    Fall 2023 | Oct 19, 2023 Navigating a critical illness or injury gives you perspective — and often, healing is buoyed by having a strong sense of purpose. Last fall, Paul Callahan needed surgery to address pressure sores that were not healing with the typical protocols for a person living with quadriplegia. He turned to Spaulding Rehabilitation Nursing and Therapy Center Brighton for his extensive recovery. Paul was highly motivated to complete the healing process — and get back to his role running a therapeutic sailing program that serves more than 1,000 children and adults with disabilities. “Although I had some idea of what to expect, it hit home when I came to Spaulding to attain the goal of physical healing, it would take a significant amount of mental fortitude, too,” Paul says. “Spaulding’s caring, knowledgeable, and compassionate team was a critical factor in accomplishing my goal.” It took 10 weeks of bed rest, highly responsive care, and therapeutic rehabilitation to get Paul back to his power wheelchair again — and most important to him, back to his role helping others in the disabled community. He credits the Spaulding team for bolstering his spirits through the dreary winter months on bed rest and for

1 to 10 of 85