Herman’s Rehabilitation Journey
Herman’s journey began almost three years ago when he was the victim of a random act of violence. Herman sustained a gunshot wound to the head while driving. The shot was fired by someone in another vehicle fleeing police. His family was told he probably would not survive, but he did. After months in intensive care he was transferred to the Glenrose Hospital for rehabilitation.
Arriving at the Glenrose
Herman was an inpatient at the Glenrose for four months in 2018. When he arrived, he had been set back decades in his abilities. He couldn’t stand or walk on his own. He was unable to speak or understand basic instructions – he had almost every communication impairment a person can have. The coordination of his swallow was also so impaired that he required a tube through the stomach for feeding.
Achieving his goals
As an inpatient, Herman worked extremely hard to regain his abilities. His family was incredibly supportive and attended every therapy session. Walking and navigating around the hospital, problem-solving daily tasks and eating and drinking again became realities, but Herman didn’t stop there. He set his sights on long-term goals like playing golf, living alone and driving again. Herman had made exceptional progress with his communication and was able to participate in simple conversations, however there was still a lot of work left to do. He continued his journey towards recovery as an inpatient at the Halvar Johnson Centre for Brain Injury in Ponoka and then returned to the Glenrose as an outpatient in February 2020 to continue working on his communication and psychology goals.
Back to living his life
As a victim of crime, it takes immense courage to fight to regain your independence and life. What happened to Herman was just a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Recovery from an injury of this magnitude does not happen overnight and Herman has fought for his recovery every day for over two years now. This positive attitude and participation has led to incredible progress. Today Herman is back to driving and living on his own.
The Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital is for patients like Herman, who require complex rehabilitation after serious injury or illness. It is the only hospital in Alberta focused entirely on rehabilitation. The Glenrose Foundation proudly funds advances in rehabilitative medicine, through donor generosity. Please donate today.
