Search results for: "form"

Adaptive tech creates accessible world for injured worker

Summertime is the busy season for construction workers like 19-year-old Jacob Sulzbach. But a workplace accident in May brought his career to a halt. As a result of the accident, Jacob lost the use of his left leg and had to have his dominant left arm amputated. After spending a month at MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center in…
Young stroke survivor prepares for fatherhood, returns to work

In June 2023, Brent Paprocki, a soon-to-be new father, farmer and electromechanical technician, experienced a series of strokes that landed him in the ICU at Columbus Community Hospital. Determined to reclaim his life, the 43-year-old arrived at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals’ CARF-accredited stroke program with a daunting road to recovery ahead of him. “I could not…
Baseball coach recovers from spinal cord injury with grace, humor

Jerad Hawkins, a former collegiate baseball player and now coach, is taking a lesson from his own playbook after life threw him a curveball. While hanging out with some friends at the Lake of the Ozarks in late September, someone threw a ball into the water. “I ran and dove into the lake,” Jerad said.…
Madonna researcher overcomes COVID, aims to study nutrition in long COVID recovery

Following a year filled with strange symptoms and an endless loop of doctor visits, Virginia Chaidez, Ph.D., RD, finally received a diagnosis in January 2023: she had long COVID. “I saw all sorts of specialists,” Chaidez, then a tenured Nutrition and Health Sciences Department professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, recalled. “I had to defer…
Haley Meeks’ unyielding path to independence

On August 15th, Haley Meeks faced a challenge that would test her strength, resilience, and the very essence of her independence. After a life-altering car accident left the 19-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas with a spinal cord injury, brain trauma, and multiple fractures, she was unsure what her future would look like. A journey through…
Kansas teen remains grateful after challenge with Guillain-Barré

Gunnar Sorell is a typical teenager. He loved hanging out with his friends, had just graduated from high school and had recently starting playing golf. He also worked in the kitchen at his family’s restaurant, Tailgater’s Steakhouse. “I did the grill for burgers and steaks and then all the fryer stuff,” Gunnar said. “I could…
A wife’s unwavering dedication propels husband’s recovery

When an accident left Steve Skrzypek with a brain injury, he faced an array of challenges. However, his devoted wife Renae stood by his side through it all, from the emergency room to the ICU at Stormont Vail, in Topeka, Kansas to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals. After 27 years of marriage, Renae made a life-altering decision:…
Injured driver finds motivation in Madonna therapy

John Ketterman spent much of his life on the road, driving semi-trucks. After picking up an extra weekend route in March 2023, the Dover, Missouri, native was in a rollover accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury. First-responders rushed John to Mercy Hospital Springfield, where he received life-saving care. He then came to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals’ specialized…
Transitional Living Experience helps patients focus on independence

Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals has always focused on helping patients maximize their level of independence. The Transitional Living Experience prepares a Madonna patient and their families for their return home by allowing them to live in the apartment for a short period alone or with a caregiver. The patient has an apartment key, follows their therapy…
Teen adjusts to new normal with humor and heart

Preparing for his junior year of high school, 17-year-old Creighton Mason-Schmidt looked forward to the upcoming football season and spending time with his friends. Then, a June car accident changed his plans. “I was in a terrible car accident where I rolled my truck and I now have a T7 spinal cord injury and had…