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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.
  • Andy outside of a pub
    “There is life after stroke.” That’s Andy Murphy’s message to patients who have found themselves at the precipice of a lengthy rehabilitation journey after experiencing a stroke. It’s a lesson he learned firsthand after his own stroke in 2021. Learn about his journey
  • Sierra getting therapy
    On a summer day in 2020, Sierra Longmoore was in a life-altering car accident. Learn how Spaulding helped her recover.
  • Joshua and his brother, two young Black men, on an adaptive bicycle for two.
    When Joshua experienced a traumatic brain injury and stroke at age 8, he went from being an avid footballer and lead in his school play to a child who doctors said would never walk or talk again. Learn how Spaulding helped him change that.

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 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 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 espa?ol, visite nuestra p?gina 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

    Together We Celebrate Spaulding Charlestown, 10 Years Later

    Spring 2023 From fragile first encounters to final goals achieved, rehabilitation is a team sport?and together we celebrate every milestone. This year our team marks a special milestone at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, which moved from our former neighborhood in Boston and opened at our new location in Charlestown 10 years ago in 2013. Since then, Spaulding has helped thousands of patients find their strength through their toughest moments. From recovering after the Boston Marathon bombings to a global pandemic that radically changed medicine as we know it, our commitment to our patients, their families, and the communities we serve has been unwavering. Together we celebrate: 10 years of compassionate clinical care and incredible recoveries 10 years of groundbreaking research and innovative treatments 10 years of disability rights advocacy through programs, partnerships, and universal design 10 years of training and educating future leaders in rehabilitation medicine Across Spaulding Rehabilitation, our goal is to help people get one day better, every day. And whatever triumphs and challenges await, our dedicated team will be there, with your support. Generous donors will help improve the quality of life for each person who comes through Spaulding?s doors in the decade ahead. Thank you for your

  • Patient Story

    Meet Paul G: Turning Fear to Hope

    Fall 2023 | Oct 19, 2023 When Paul Gentile felt faint and nauseated on a hike with his wife in Bourne in 2019, it started a chain of events that led to a heart procedure and a recovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation Cape Cod. Paul was scared, confused, and worried about the impact his condition would have on his life. But he knew he was in the best place at Spaulding. His clinical team focused on helping Paul regain his strength ? and also his confidence. When he first arrived, Paul couldn?t maneuver himself to get out of bed. His physical therapist, Jillian, worked with him each day to build his strength and coordinate his movements. It was a milestone for them both when Paul could sit up by himself. ?It?s the little things that you take for granted that matter so much,? he says. Paul deeply appreciates Spaulding Cape Cod?s role in his recovery. With the help of his team he quickly progressed, both physically and emotionally, until his fear turned to hope. Now Paul volunteers weekly at Spaulding Cape Cod, conducting surveys and bringing joy to patients with his beloved English Cocker Spaniel, Ellie, a certified Canine Good Citizen. He?s also working with

  • Patient Story

    Meet Doug: Finding Hope in the Face of Traumatic Brain Injury

    Summer 2024 Last September, Doug Albanese?s life took a sudden turn when he experienced a devastating fall down the stairs of his home cellar, landing headfirst on the concrete floor. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he would spend weeks unconscious with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the neuro critical care unit. After he was able to respond to a command with a thumbs up, Doug was recommended to Spaulding for his rehabilitation. He began care at Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care Cambridge a month after his accident, unable to stand or walk. Doug arrived at Spaulding in despair, convinced he may never walk again; never get back to his job as a dispatch supervisor in the Lebanon, New Hampshire police department; never photograph breathtaking scenery on his New Hampshire hikes. While the future seemed bleak, Doug found hope and surprised himself at Spaulding Hospital for Continuing Medical Care Cambridge. ?My care team focused on my capabilities, not my lack of abilities,? said Doug. ?My physical therapist, Joy, encouraged me to stay positive and challenged me to make strides that I didn?t believe I could make.? Though a challenge it was, Doug was up for it ? he progressed from

  • Patient Story

    Donnie's Leukemia Treatment Story - Spaulding Rehab

    The staff on 3 South at Spaulding Hospital Cambridge affectionately referred to Donnie Shea as the ?President of Spaulding.? Donnie would tell you he started out as the Mayor, then became Governor, and eventually President of Spaulding. He said he earned the honor having been a patient at Spaulding Cambridge for over a year. While most people wouldn?t consider that to be a good thing, Donnie was extremely grateful for the unique and specialized care he received, allowing him to live every day to the fullest. Donnie was diagnosed with leukemia in 1990 and was treated with aggressive chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment was grueling but effective, and Donnie was able to return to work for the airlines and raise his family of 3 children for many years. The treatments he received years ago eventually began to affect his health. ?Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease,? Donnie stated. His kidneys began to fail as a result of the radiation treatments. He required two bone marrow transplants, which landed him back in the hospital for an extended period of time. His condition was very critical, requiring him to stay in the ICU at Mass General Hospital. When he started to

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