Every Tuesday, Michael Wieseler and his mom, Peg, share their story with patients at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals as part of the Peer Volunteering program. For Michael, it’s not only a chance to show others what is possible after serious brain trauma. For him, it’s become his life’s passion to spread joy everywhere he goes.
“Every single day I wake up, the first thing I do is just thank God,” Michael said. “The fact that I’m alive is amazing. I want to inspire people and give them reasons to keep fighting and living dream.”
Michael’s recovery hasn’t been a straight path, but every bit of progress is a testament to the power of positivity and perseverance.
In November 2019, while walking near a smokestack on a cruise ship, Michael fell 75 feet from a balcony, down the ship’s entire windshield. He doesn’t remember the days or weeks that followed, but Peg vividly recalls the rush of emotions.
The cruise ship was diverted to Miami, where Michael spent the next 40 days in a coma. He returned to Omaha by air ambulance and spent another three weeks at Nebraska Medicine. He came to Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals’ Specialty Hospital in January 2020 in a minimally conscious state.
“I don’t remember even being inpatient at Madonna, but I do know I could not walk, I could not talk, I could not eat, I couldn’t do a thing,” Michael said.
Michael spent a month in the Specialty Hospital, then transitioned to Madonna’s Acute Rehabilitation Unit, where he spent another month. During his inpatient stay, the COVID-19 pandemic began, and visitors were limited for safety precautions. But even when he hadn’t yet emerged from his minimally conscious state, Peg continued to provide constant support.
“On the outpatient side, at that point, we were doing Zoom calls with family members with inpatients and outpatients,” Tina Meier, PT, DPT, Michael’s physical therapist, said. “I just remember that it was every single day we’d have this Mike Wieseler on our schedule. Every single day his mom would call and just sit with him. She would either read or talk or be with him any way that she could, and I think that is really a cool story, remembering just how things were back in 2020 and how hard it probably was for her too. Peg has been standing by his side from day one, even through COVID. Even when she couldn’t be there to hold his hand physically, she was there.”
Now, Michael and Peg strive to be that support for others.
“I would’ve loved to have someone like him to come in and say, ‘You know, it’s a journey but you’ll get there. Just keep working hard,’” Peg said. “You really don’t know what to expect. Nobody can tell you, of course, because every journey is different, but it’s nice to see somebody coming out the other side.”
One day, after a recreation therapy session, Jessie Franks, MA, CTRS, ACSM-EP, a Madonna recreation therapist, approached Mike about giving back as part of the peer volunteering program.
“When I think of Mike, the one word I think of is just joy,” Franks said. “The hope is that what other patients can take from Mike’s story and just being around Mike is that there is hope. Although recovery and your rehab journey can be long, there is hope, there is quality of life, and there is still joy in life.”
Peg says Michael has always been the life of the party, making friends wherever he goes, so she was so excited he maintained that part of him after his brain trauma. She says his extroverted personality helps him connect with patients and maintain his positive attitude. Michael says he tells patients now that working hard and trusting your care team are also imperative to success.
“They know more than you would even expect them to know, so trust them and do what they ask you to do, because there’s a purpose for them asking you to do that,” Michael said.
Not only does Michael walk the walk, he talks the talk. Over the last five years, Michael has continued to participate in his own outpatient therapy at Madonna. He started with first mastering activities of daily living, like dressing himself and brushing his teeth. With help from Madonna’s specialized technology, he’s been able to practice a return to driving and walk independently.
“He used to go to the gym and work out, so he loves using the Madonna ICARE by SportsArt elliptical, because it gives him some independence to get back to gym-like activities,” Meier said. “Most recently, we’ve used the SoloStep harness to make sure he does have his balance and he’s safe and he’s not going to fall over for some of those more challenging balance activities.”
Madonna’s driving simulator also allows Michael to practice his divided attention and sharpen his reaction time. He’s determined to regain full independence through walking, driving and eventually returning to work.
“He is so motivated and motivating,” Becca Saef, OTR/L, Michael’s occupational therapist, said. “He’s one of those patients that you work with and it’s like a reminder of why you do what you do every day. He works so hard. He has seen consistent progress every time and he’s just positive and a person who just wants to be his best.” From the beginning, doctors told Peg the road would be long, but she didn’t realize the magnitude of that statement.