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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.
  • Randy, an older man in a wheelchair, and Catherine, an older woman, share a moment on their patio.
    When Randy was diagnosed with the most severe form of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), he came to Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care Cambridge for his intensive rehabilitation. Find out how the team at Spaulding helped him get back on his feet.
  • Addy, a small girl wearing rainbow wings, stands at a window overlooking Boston Harbor.
    When a severe Group A streptococcal infection left 7-year-old Addy unable to walk, Spaulding was there for her. Learn how she proudly walked into the school building on her first day back in the fall.
  • A teenaged boy with tousled red hair in the passenger seat of a car.
    After traveling cross-country to Spaulding for specialized care following a traumatic brain injury, Ari made incredible strides, starting with speaking his first word, "Mama."
  • Michele (in a wheelchair) and her husband on a balcony overlooking Boston Harbor.
    After a life-changing ski injury, Michele found hope, strength, and a path to independence at Spaulding.
  • Becky, a young woman with dwarfism, in a hospital hallway.
    With the help of Spaulding’s donor-funded program, Supportive Surroundings, Becky made a remarkable transition from inpatient to outpatient care following major surgery.

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.

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  • 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 Michele: Reclaiming Independence with the Travis Roy Center

    After a life-changing ski injury, Michele found hope, strength, and a path to independence at Spaulding, where dedicated therapists and innovative assistive technology from the Travis Roy Center helped her reclaim her life. With generosity of donors, life-changing stories like these become possible. Watch the video

  • Patient Story

    Meet Martha and the “Spaulding Sisters”

    The self-titled “Spaulding Sisters” made the most of 2020. The group of women met at Spaulding Boston over the past several years, bonding over their shared love of aquatic therapy. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed our community water fitness classes, the Sisters came together to support each other and their health in a whole new way. The ladies are avid participants in the Spaulding Adaptive Sports Program’s virtual classes (launched in response to the pandemic), “meeting” several times a week to exercise virtually together from the safety of their homes. They are among the more than 1,000 participants who have benefitted from virtual classes like yoga, boxing, exercise for stroke and TBI, dance with Parkinson’s, and more. In 2020, donations were used to pivot Spaulding adaptive sports programming to be entirely virtual—supporting the health and wellness of an even broader community, when so many were isolated and unable to participate in their regular fitness and community activities. Martha Starr, “Spaulding Sister,” patient, and volunteer, says the virtual programs have been a true lifesaver in 2020. And so have the Sisters’ weekly Friday Zoom calls to check in on one another. They share resources and coping strategies, discuss their conditions, and laugh together. Martha

  • Patient Story

    Meet Lindsey

    Music helps us heal in countless ways. Our favorite songs lift our spirits, regardless of the challenges we are facing that day. For lifelong performers—even those who only sing in the shower—music is both a treatment and a goal during rehabilitation. The right song can give us the motivation to race one more mile — or to take just one more step. At Spaulding, music plays a role in our approach to caring not just for the patient, but for the whole person.  When Lindsey Santiago was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at age 25, she didn’t realize how much her life would change. While she has experienced happy milestones — marrying her long-time boyfriend, giving birth to their now-3-year-old, Max — Lindsey’s condition has also progressed and presented new challenges. Spasticity is a common symptom of MS, affecting her feet and legs and requiring Lindsey to use assistance to walk — and to rely on others to carry her toddler son. “I have balance issues,” she says. “When you’re holding a child, you don’t want to fall.” After her stay at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Lindsey now participates in Spaulding’s outpatient neurologic music therapy program to gain steadiness on her feet. She works

  • Patient Story

    Meet Lauren and Tracey: From Rehab to the Finish Line

    Spring 2023 Watch this special story of a mother and daughter who both underwent outpatient rehabilitation therapy with Spaulding, and recently achieved an incredible feat — running the Boston Marathon on Spaulding's Race for Rehab Team. Their journey is a testament to the power of healing and perseverance. Join us in celebrating their

  • Patient Story

    Meet Ethan | A Spaulding Story of Strength

    Para leer esta historia en español, visite nuestra página en el Internet. Who was by your side when you achieved a major life goal? For Ethan Wang, it will be a community of family, friends, and caregivers cheering for him (virtually) as he walks at his Boston University graduation this year. It’s a significant milestone for Ethan, who sustained a spinal cord injury while studying abroad—paralyzing him from the neck down and derailing his junior year of college. In Bali in March 2019, Ethan was critically injured while swimming in the ocean. He needed immediate life-saving surgery, followed by a medical evacuation and more surgeries in Singapore, before he could return home to Massachusetts. Then came the long journey of rehabilitation. Our donor community has been with Ethan on this journey, too. Gifts to Spaulding provide resources and support to help patients like Ethan achieve their goals. “Our family’s main source of strength is the amazing support we have received,” says Ethan’s father, Willis. “There is so much strength in community, and that is what has helped us.” Paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury (SCI) is an intense, life-changing event. Ethan spent 148 days as an inpatient at Spaulding Boston, achieving a new physical milestone

  • Patient Story

    Meet Clifton: Surviving Stroke: There and Back Again

    Spring 2023 Life often comes full circle. Clifton Singletary’s Spaulding Rehabilitation story began while he was serving our patients. When he returned to Spaulding as a patient himself, his desire to give back grew stronger. Clifton’s first visit to Spaulding was in July 2013 to escort the Boston Pops as they performed for survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings. Clifton, a decorated Boston police officer, was invited to Spaulding in recognition of his service that day, when he helped load the wounded into ambulances. Clifton never imagined that he would return to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston almost 10 years later, following a hemorrhagic stroke. Unable to walk on his own and struggling with post-stroke coordination, sensory, and cognitive symptoms, he found that his Spaulding team was determined to get him back on his feet. “This is beyond professionalism,” he says. “There’s a level of dedication the people have here that is beyond comprehension.” Spaulding’s personalized approach to care has Clifton not only walking again but inspired to return to the hospital to help others. Part of his efforts include participating in a research study testing a virtual reality–linked treadmill to improve gait performance for stroke survivors like himself. One in four people will have a

  • Patient Story

    Meet Chris Rodelle: Chris’s First Ride: The Power of Adaptive Sports

    Summer 2023 The freedom of riding a bike is an unforgettable joy. It’s a freedom Chris Rodelle thought he had lost, due to a rare and progressive genetic disease that severely affects his coordination and movement. Through Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers (SASC), the 26-year-old was able to regain this joy and resume a very special pastime — taking a bike ride with his dad. A longtime participant in Spaulding’s Adaptive Sports programming, Chris has experienced our dedication to modifying equipment and creating an inclusive environment for people of all abilities. His favorite activity is mountain biking, though his set-up required that he be tethered to another rider. Seeing Chris’s independence decline as his condition progressed, the SASC team got to work on a solution to help him get his freedom back. Thanks to generous donations and through collaborations with multiple companies, we added a bike to our fleet with a full quad set-up, which gives a person who is unable to use their arms or legs the ability to cycle independently. On his first day using this special bike, Chris rode almost five miles. And this time, his dad rode right alongside him — because now Chris was too fast for him to keep

  • Patient Story

    From Inpatient to Empowerment: Becky’s Path to Recovery

    Discover the inspiring journey of Becky, who has faced significant medical challenges throughout her life after being diagnosed with Dwarfism. With the help of Spaulding’s donor-funded program, Supportive Surroundings, Becky made a remarkable transition from inpatient to outpatient care following major surgery. She is a powerful advocate for disability rights and the importance of Spaulding’s mission. Watch the video

  • Patient Story

    Cross-Country Journey to Recovery: Ari's Milestones at Spaulding

    Watching Ari's journey unfold is nothing short of inspiring. After traveling cross-country to Spaulding for specialized care following a traumatic brain injury, Ari made incredible strides—from speaking his first word, "Mama," to reaching countless other milestones, all thanks to the expert therapists and staff who supported his recovery every step of the way. Stories like Ari’s are made possible by the vital donor support that helps us provide this transformative care. Watch the video

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