Check out this short video montage of some of NeuroHope’s amazing clients and the hard work they put in everyday!
By Megan Lashley, Neuro Exercise Specialist
On October 23rd, 2020 Lonnie Watson (L.W.) noticed a strange pain running down his leg. He thought nothing of it and continued about his day. The next morning he began favoring his right side. After making a call to his doctor, L.W. was sent to the Emergency Room. Luckily, Community Hospital was nearby.
He had suffered a stroke, and was admitted to Community North in Indianapolis to begin inpatient rehabilitation. As he started the lengthy process of rehab, the severity of his condition became clear. He no longer had the ability to stand up, or keep his balance on his own. He didn’t have control over his right arm, and he couldn’t coordinate any volitional movement.
“I was told that the first five months after a stroke were the most crucial for recovery, and that was my determination,” says L.W.
L.W. set goals to improve leg strength and balance. He was determined to re-learn how to reach and grasp objects, and he worked tirelessly with his therapists every day. Over the next few weeks in the hospital, he quickly progressed from being reliant on a Hoyer Lift to leave his bed, to the use of a boardslide. Then came steps with a hemi-walker, a rolling walker, and finally a single point cane. He was mobile again and celebrating, but his journey was far from complete.
When he left the hospital, L.W. continued in-home therapy for several months until he hit a recovery wall. He needed to find place where he could continue his progress, and he needed team that understood his condition. Recovery revolves around hard work and determination and L.W. was determined to find structure and steady encouragement to continue his journey.
In April of 2021, L.W. was introduced to NeuroHope and has been part of the NeuroHope community ever since! Over the last year, L.W. has been a dedicated member of NeuroHope’s “Path to Independence” Wellness program, a monthly membership separate from therapy that features specialized fitness plans, open gym access, and group cardio and strengthening classes. L.W. arrives each day with enthusiasm in his soul and progress on his mind. As he continues to work towards his functional goals, L.W. recently exceeded a tremendous personal goal: A 100 pound weight lost since his stroke! And he isn’t finished yet!
You will find L.W.’s customized T-shirt hanging in the NeuroHope gym. It has a logo of the mind and heart intertwined.
“All you need is a determined mind and a willing heart,” L.W. reminds us. “As long as you have those two things, you can do it.”
L.W. is happily retired and married to the love of his life Lolita, of 40 years. He has two children (L.W. Jr. and LaTrice) and eight grandchildren. He is an inspiration to us all.
Keep up the great work, L.W.!
Let’s kick off summer with a short video of inspiring clients who CONTINUE to make progress in their recoveries at NeuroHope!
The short video below shows clips of Juan taking steps after his brain injury, Yarnin and Mike using neuromuscular electrical stimulation to improve hand and arm function after stroke, and Lucas and Slade working hard after spinal cord injury. You’ll also notice our Wellness Program in action, which features gym access and group cardio and strength classes.
We recently received an $18,000 grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to boost this program!
Recovery from neurologic injury takes TIME, ACCESS, MOTIVATION, and HARD WORK. This is why we’re here!
Over the course of a long career as a nurse, Jenny Rosebrock served many patients recovering from neurologic injuries, but she never imagined she would be on the receiving end of such care. That changed in March of 2020, when Jenny suffered a brainstem stroke causing left side paralysis. It would be the start of a long and grueling road to recovery.
Jenny spent three weeks at a local rehabilitation hospital before she was discharged home. With outpatient clinics closed last spring due to COVID-19, she was not able to begin outpatient therapy at the hospital until June. By the fall, Jenny had made significant gains. She had regained some movement, and could take her first steps with a hemi-walker.
Unfortunately, in October of 2020, just seven months after her stroke, it was determined that Jenny had “plateaued”. Her recovery was deemed complete and she was discharged from rehabilitation. It is a story that is familiar to so many patients battling the rehabilitation process. Neurologic injuries take months, sometimes years, to recover from. NeuroHope was created to help patients like Jenny maximize their recovery. Fortunately, her outpatient therapist recommended NeuroHope so she could continue her progress. (story continued below video)
Over the last four months, Jenny has been a regular in the NeuroHope gym. She has inspired everyone with her enthusiasm, and came up with the idea for our “Key West Challenge”, a therapy and workout challenge involving everyone at NeuroHope that tracks therapy and wellness “miles” on a virtual journey to Florida.
Most importantly, Jenny’s recovery continues! The video above captures the emotional moment when she left her walker behind and took her FIRST STEPS after her stroke.
“I am so grateful to NeuroHope,” Jenny says. “With an atmosphere of positivity and encouragement, and a great staff and facility, I have made progress and can use a walker without a leg brace now. My ‘stroke-aversary’ is in March. As I reflect on the past year, I am thankful for family, friends, my therapists, and for NeuroHope!”
Keep pushing Jenny! This is why we’re here!
In March of 2019, 45-year-old Tim Owen was driving his car when he was overcome by a paralyzing stroke. Thanks to quick thinking and the life-saving work of paramedics, he survived. But the effects of the stroke were significant, initially leaving him completely paralyzed on his left side.
Tim’s recovery has been long and tedious. He spent two months at Community Hospital and came to NeuroHope for continued therapy in September of 2019. Over the last 12 months Tim has worked tirelessly in his recovery and made MAJOR strides. One of his more recent goals – GET BACK ON THAT GOLF COURSE!
Check out the inspiring video below of Tim working with Bart and Megan to get his swing back while strengthening his legs and core on a vibration plate AND his FIRST LIVE SWING at Top Golf with his son behind the camera!
Gotta love it. GO TIM!!
Tim is one of the 52 current clients at NeuroHope that is recovering from a life-changing injury or neurologic condition that we provide with continued rehabilitation and exercise programs. Spinal cord injury, brain injury, and stroke take months, or sometimes years to maximize recovery. Unfortunately, most insurance plans limit the amount of therapy coverage each year, and traditional healthcare facilities are unable to provide continued care.
NeuroHope was created to fill the void in care by offering affordable rates for patients AFTER insurance is exhausted so patients like Tim can continue their inspiring journeys and be in a better position to reach their goals.
Alexa Cantwell, a 27 year old from Indianapolis, didn’t become a wheelchair-user instantaneously like so many others who injure their spinal cords. Instead, when she was just 8 years old, Alexa sustained a spinal stroke which resulted in a gradual decline in her mobility through her teens.
The spinal stroke caused damage from the C2 to T2 vertabrae. “Because of the nature of the stroke, it took doctors a long time to discover what actually happened,” Alexa says. “I started using AFO leg braces when I was around 10 years old and later used forearm crutches. I didn’t use a wheelchair full-time until I was seventeen.”
Since a spinal stroke can cause an incomplete injury, Alexa’s entire body is affected in some way. She still has some sensation throughout her body. “Just a little less in my legs and feet. I can also move my legs a very small amount,” she says.
When Alexa was 12, her family moved into an accessible home as a precautionary step. By the time she was in her teens she needed to use the elevator and accessible apartment in the basement. “When I was in college, we renovated my bathroom so I could use it independently. We installed a roll-in shower with a bench, a sink I can roll under, and bars by the toilet. I’m so grateful to have a house that I could easily transition to,” Alexa says.
Since her injury was not traumatic, she did not go through traditional specialized neurological rehabilitation. Instead, she was sent to general physical therapy. “Before being at NeuroHope, I had gone to a facility that specialized in helping patients with neurological injuries and conditions, but it was still pretty traditional in a lot of ways. I wasn’t showing enough improvement after a short time so I was discharged.”
Frustrated with the results of therapy, she wanted more and was introduced to NeuroHope when she saw a post on Instagram. “I checked out their page not realizing NeuroHope was in Indiana. I was surprised and excited to find out they were so close to where I lived. I wanted to try out a place that offered something different from traditional physical therapy but everything I found was too far away.”
Alexa has now been coming to NeuroHope for more than a year and has seen exciting results. “I’ve always been drawn to alternative methods instead of the traditional route when it comes to my health, so NeuroHope was right up my alley. One of my favorite things is the Xcite machine (Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation). At my first appointment, I got to use it and stand up with a walker. It felt really good to be on my feet again.”
Now working as a self-employed lifestyle and wellness coach after graduating with writing and business administration degrees, Alexa stays busy with family and friends when she’s not working. “They’re so supportive and I don’t know what I’d do without them,” she says. “I also enjoy serving at church and traveling. I haven’t been out of the country since I’ve been in my chair, but it’s on my bucket list.”
Less than one year ago, Ryan Bardellini was enjoying his senior year at the International School of Indiana. A standout fencer and student, Ryan’s future plans involved looking at colleges and planning his future. Ryan’s life changed in November of 2017. He was involved in a serious accident and sustained a traumatic brain injury. Ryan was in the hospital for three months, and at an inpatient rehabilitation facility for a few weeks. After his insurance coverage ran out, however, Ryan was discharged, and his recovery slowed.
“He went from having intensive therapy five days a week to being limited to 2 or 3 weekly visits,” says Ryan’s mother Kimberly. “He wasn’t ready to be discharged [from daily therapy], he needed much more.”
Through their own research for resources available to people with brain or spinal cord injuries, the Bardellini’s found NeuroHope to supplement the outpatient visits he was receiving at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana (RHI).
Ryan began coming to NeuroHope on days he did not have sessions at RHI so he could receive the most therapy and exercise he could during the critical first year after his injury. In March of 2018, Ryan was still significantly paralyzed on his right side and was just re-learning to take small steps with a walker. NeuroHope’s therapists and trainers have paid particular attention to his weaknesses and fragile gait pattern over the last 6 months, and have pushed him through vibration plate balancing, electrical stimulation, treadmill training, and core exercises.
By May of 2018, Ryan had gained significant return on his right side and had become strong enough to walk on his own across the stage at his high school graduation. Ryan’s journey, attitude, and hard work have been nothing short of inspiring. He has come far in his life-changing journey, but he is 
not finished yet. Today, he continues to work with NeuroHope’s trainers, who push him to continue to improve his balance, coordination, and overall strength. And college plans are right around the corner! He’s been accepted to Purdue University and is taking his first class this semester with an eye on returning as a full-time student soon.
As an accomplished fencer – his next goal is get back back on the strip!
Mark Ashcraft is one of those people you can’t help falling in love with. He has a caring soul and an infectious, outgoing personality. Anyone who meets him is immediately drawn in. He is a fighter with an enormous heart. That is the reason he fights daily to walk again. I have watched the progression of emotional states Mark has been through during his recovery, from the “Why Me?” stage to the “This isn’t going to beat me!” stage. It is inspiring to watch his determination in action. He passed through the initial stages of grief quickly. His goal from the beginning has been to defeat paralysis and walk again.
After several weeks in the hospital with no significant changes, we were let loose into the wonderful world of rehabilitation. Here, Mark learned how to live with his disability. He learned ways to shower, get dressed, and use a catheter. He learned exercises to strengthen his upper body to assist with transfers. Physical therapy sessions using hoists to get him standing, and exercises that helped him bear weight became his daily grind. By the time Mark’s insurance was capped and his therapy benefits were exhausted, he was on his way to making great progress. In fact, his last week in rehab he stood on his own for a few moments by holding onto the wall. But, in spite of his progress, I was worried about how Mark would continue his recovery with home rehabilitation, and I was concerned he wouldn’t receive the expertise he needed to learn to walk again. Mark was concerned as well. And within a few weeks of being home, I could tell he was becoming down and depressed.
My sister Allison has been by my side since day one after the accident 4 years ago.
At the Rehabilitation hospital, she stayed well past the “allowed” visiting hours each night. At the nursing home, she kept me company, fed me, and did her best to keep my spirits up during the darkest times. She spent hours fighting and writing hospital and insurance company administrators in an effort to grant more rehabilitation time. She was my biggest cheerleader every step of the way as I slowly gained back my mobility and independence. She even walked with me as I struggled through a mile at a fundraiser for the Reeve Foundation at the Kentucky Derby Marathon in 2012.
Now, she is playing an instrumental role in helping to create NeuroHope.
Allison recently posted the update below on her facebook page. It’s both chilling and moving, and a reminder that entire families are changed by spinal cord injury – not just the person thrown into paralysis.
Essentially 4 years ago – August 8, 2010.
It was a sunny afternoon. I was enjoying a typically beautiful summer day at Lake Wawasee with close friends and family. I remember going on boat rides and trying to take kiddo’s on the jet-skis. We were “borrowing” Chris’s two SeaDoos, and I remember calling my “little” brother to ask his advice about some issue we were having.
Carefree and oblivious.
“So Chris, what kind of oil do they take?” We spoke so briefly. Just a random chat. It’s funny how the random details stick with you.
I remember our dear friends packed up early to go home and to work/school the next day. I think the first day of school that year was the upcoming Monday. I stayed behind at the cottage. I was vacuuming, cleaning, and enjoying one last summer sunset with a plan to drive back to Indianapolis in the morning.
I didn’t hear from anyone else that evening and I crashed early. It still shatters my soul to think what was going on back home.
I woke up the next morning to strange and somber voicemails on my phone. From cousin Julie: “Allison, I heard about Chris’s accident, call me, let me know what we can do, we love you.”
That was how I heard the news. Through all the drama of the day, a helicopter trip to the ICU and a night spent in the Emergency Room, Mom and Dad hadn’t called me. They knew I was three hours north and feared me driving back on my own. They were caught up in a nightmare.
Somethings are a blur now. We felt like zombies for months. Tears and Panic. Hope and Fear.
“Fight fight fight” , became the mantra. I will never forget the strength of Chris’s attitude. I still try to live each day with gratitude and purpose.
Today, we have a renewed purpose.
Four years after a C4/5 spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the neck down, we have created a public charity that will offer the extended rehabilitation services he struggled so hard to obtain.
We need your support. We need help to spread the word.
If you haven’t already, please watch and share the inspirational video that Chris put together with help from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and his close friends. It is too easy to take the simple things for granted in life. Mobility. Freedom. Health.
Take a moment and breathe in your life and your blessings. Life can change in an instant and yet we all have the power to change lives.
Ask yourself, “What change will I make today?”
NeuroHope is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides long-term physical rehabilitation and wellness following neurologic injury. TIN: 46-1842276
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