Meet Donna

What keeps you going in the face of adversity?

For Spaulding patient Donna Latson Gittens, it’s a strong internal drive, a vision of getting back to her passions, a new grandchild—and a care team that sees her motivation and helps her persevere.

Donna contracted listeria in summer 2023, leading to a serious brain infection. She was treated and stabilized at Massachusetts General Hospital and came to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston for her recovery. It was a challenging time for the formerly active grandmother-to-be and lifelong communications professional, who arrived paralyzed on her right side and unable to speak.

Her Spaulding care team and a combination of physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and music therapy quickly got her on the path to recovery. “My care team was incredible,” Donna says. They focused on helping her regain mobility and access speech, all while addressing her lingering infection.

“The breadth of knowledge shared across Donna’s care team was amazing,” says Donna’s husband, Bob. “We all felt it. Their skill level and endless patience are unmatched. Her physician, Dr. John Danko, was transparent and took the time to explain situations, while staying positive.”

At Spaulding, every patient is driven by a personal “why”—a reason to rebuild after injury or illness. Your support as a donor helps provide the “how”—the expert care and innovative therapies that make recovery possible. Spaulding donors play a critical role in our life-changing care.

Not only did Donna work hard at inpatient therapy for six weeks, she also participated in S-IHP’s CAP, an intensive treatment program for adults with aphasia—a language disorder that can occur after brain injury. The program is a collaboration between Spaulding and the MGH Institute of Health Professions, and it’s designed to maximize recovery so that patients can return to the activities that matter to them.

Donna’s career has always been in communications. As a former vice president in television broadcasting and founder of a marketing agency, she planned to focus on public speaking during retirement. Now she still has that aspiration, with the added purpose of using her recent experience to help people in similar situations. This program—and continued outpatient therapy with Spaulding—has helped her pursue that goal.

Sharing her story is one of many ways Donna is choosing to give back after this life-altering experience. In addition, Donna and Bob chose to make a donation to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in gratitude for her care. It’s a deeply personal gift.

“I want to thank my care team for all they’ve done for me,” says Donna. “Spaulding is a special place. I hope to return the favor.”