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Former hospital patient smiling and playing piano

Celebrating Rehabilitation Day with a story of hope and recovery

09/16/2024

Rehabilitation care changes lives.

 
We celebrate Rehabilitation Day today with a Bruyère success story where our complex care and rehabilitation services worked together to kindle hope and restore quality of life to a patient who experienced a debilitating neurological disorder.
 
Last year, Thiago was vacationing in a cottage in Prince Edward County when he started experiencing numbness. The next day, in the shower, he realized he couldn’t raise his arms above his shoulders. As his condition worsened, he and his husband rushed back to Ottawa.
 
Eventually admitted to the Ottawa Hospital’s ICU, he was diagnosed with Guillain Barré Syndrome, a rare autoimmune condition that deteriorates the nerves. Thiago’s case was so severe, he gradually became completely paralyzed and even lost the ability to breathe on his own, requiring a ventilator.
 
When Thiago was admitted to Bruyère, doctors couldn’t say when or if he’d be able to walk again.
 
Respiratory therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech language pathologists as well as dietitians, nurses and physicians worked with him. Gradually, he was weaned off the ventilator and learning to breathe and eat on his own. After about three months, he was able to propel himself in his wheelchair—another milestone.
 
Six months after being admitted, he was able to walk out of Bruyère on his own. During his time here, he even regained his ability to play piano.
 
In July, he returned to Bruyère but this time it was to perform a piano recital. The concert marked the end of a remarkable journey of recovery, one that he says had to begin with hope.
 
You can watch Thiago and his husband tell their story and celebrate Rehab Day by sharing your or your loved ones’ stories of recovery on social media using the hashtag #RehabilitationDay.