Omaha: 1.844.403.3131 | 402.401.3000
Lincoln: 1.800.676.5448 | 402.413.3000
Recovery doesn’t just happen within the walls of a hospital. Sometimes a small dose of normalcy can remind our patients of their goals. For spinal cord injury survivor, Faith Collins, a few community outings sparked the hope she needed to get back on the horse, both figuratively and literally. Read her unique story as she takes aim at returning to the activities she loves.
When an abnormal blood vessel burst in the back of active-duty Airman Randy Rodriguez's neck, he knew his life would never be the same. The incident left him with an incomplete spinal cord injury and he couldn't move so much as his toes. With the unfailing support of his father, Randy made impressive gains at Madonna. Read more to learn about his recovery.
Justin Norris sustained life-threatening injuries while responding to the Road 739 fire in Arapahoe, Nebraska in April of 2022. He came to Madonna to rebuild his strength. From the beginning, the family man demonstrated his grit and determination to return home as soon as possible.
An aspiring lawyer, Shantel Thompson’s dreams of helping her community were put on hold after the unthinkable happened. She was shot and suffered a spinal cord injury. Shantel recovered at Madonna, fueled by her strong faith as she healed. She also shifted her focus to regaining strength and reclaiming her independence. “I don’t want that one moment to define me for the rest of my life,” Shantel said. “I still want to go on and become a great lawyer, have my own family one day, and help the people of my community.”
Spinal cord injuries affect an estimated 17,730 indiviuals each year in the U.S. Madonna cares for hundreds of these patients annually, and we are committed to improving their independence and quality of life. In honor of National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, we spoke with Diane Ulmer, OTR/L, the program manager for Madonna’s specialized Spinal Cord Injury Program.
The INDEPENDENT is a quarterly magazine published for friends of Madonna highlighting patient stories, development and acquisition of new technology, Madonna Foundation events and more. To be added to the mailing list to receive a copy, visit the link below.
Interested in sharing your Madonna recovery story or providing our team with an update on your progress since leaving our hospitals? Visit the page below.