Meet John L

With help from a skilled rehabilitation care team, patients like John can get back to living life to the fullest—even after devastating injury.

John was out for an early morning walk with his wife near their home in Concord, Massachusetts, when suddenly he was hit by a car. With his neck broken in three places, John was transported via medical flight and rushed into emergency surgery. He survived, but the injury had left him unable to walk or feed himself. “I had to relearn how to do half the things I took for granted,” John says.

John came to Spaulding Nursing and Therapy Center Brighton for his rehabilitation. His recovery was further complicated by his ongoing cancer treatment—he had been about to receive a bone marrow transplant and was immunocompromised. The Spaulding Brighton team was ready with all the precautions to keep John safe while he recovered. We also expertly managed his complex wound care from the accident and surgery.

“The level of care and attention and love the Spaulding team provided was extraordinary,” says John.

From physical therapy to occupational therapy, from therapeutic recreation to wound care, everything we do at Spaulding is intentionally designed to maximize a patient’s recovery—and each element receives critical support from our donor community.

As the former president of Allandale Farm, John was eager to get back to his active life outdoors. “They instilled a level of confidence that it wasn’t a pipe dream,” he says. “My physical therapist taught me how to put one foot in front of the other. He told me I could do it, and he was right!”

Generous donations enhance the special programs that set Spaulding’s care apart. Gifts go to work right away to help current and future patients achieve their rehabilitation goals and get back to their lives.

After a two-week stay, John left Spaulding Brighton using just a walker for support—and now, he’s back to steelhead fishing, skiing, hiking, and tending his beloved gardens. “I feel lucky that I’m still here,” he says, reflecting on his accident. “And lucky that I got great treatment to be where I am today.”

As a gesture of thanks for the care he received, John and his wife, Annette, generously donated to Spaulding Brighton—passing along hope and healing to others like him. “I believe the world goes around based on people’s love and charity,” John says.