South Fairfax News

Patient Now VHS Volunteer Through Help of Therapist Team

In April 2021, Boyce resident Cody Gray suffered a traumatic brain injury, along with injuries to his back and neck, after being involved in a motorcycle accident.

When he showed up at the Valley Health Wellness Center a couple months later for outpatient care, his short-term memory was severely impaired and he needed assistance for all of his personal care. He couldn’t say his name or read.

Almost two years later, Cody volunteers at the front desk of the Wellness Center, faxing, copying papers and helping clean up.

“They’ve been very special,” he says of his Valley Health therapists and the Wellness Center staff. “They helped me out with words. They helped me out with computers and printers. They helped me out for over a year, so I want to help them out.”

Cody’s Therapy Journey

When Cody arrived at the Wellness Center, he had no memory of his accident. He was able to follow only simple instructions. He had weakness in his right arm and leg and blind spots in his eyes. He couldn’t say his name and was easily distracted. Simple tasks like using the microwave had become impossible.

From June 2021 to September 2022, Cody received a combination of speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy.

Physical therapist Stephanie Mahan worked on Cody’s balance and coordination activities, motor control, walking mechanics and velocity, endurance, and stretching. With all activities, Mahan incorporated cognitive challenges, including having Cody watch the clock to determine when 30 seconds had passed. Cody also used a treadmill to improve walking speed, while partaking in activities of increasing complexity such as jogging, agility ladder, mini trampoline, tennis, and basketball.

“Initially, Cody’s cognitive status was very impaired,” says Stephanie. “However, he was always polite and pleasantly participatory. Over the approximately three months we worked together, his personality began to emerge. He was good-natured, kind, and willing to try any activity I suggested.”

Occupational therapist Doris Perry assisted Cody with arm strength, fine motor coordination, dexterity, and visual scanning. They worked on several tasks such as reading restaurant menus, identifying money in order to make purchases, navigating unfamiliar buildings to locate various offices, and relearning his address and emergency phone numbers for emergency planning.

“He’s a very positive person,” Doris says. “He was never down. He was always upbeat, even after his insight improved and he could understand what happened to him. Cody eventually asked for homework at the end of each session. He was very motivated and hardworking.”

Speech language pathologist Emily Beckley worked with Cody the longest because of his severe issues with memory and speech. She assisted him with using his cell phone to type notes and to set alarms to take medication. They also read newspaper articles, and Cody would write three main points about each.

“He was minimally verbal,” Emily says. “He would answer questions with one word. His memory was also very slow to come back. It took him a year to remember my name.”

Cody’s Recovery

When Cody was discharged in September 2022, he was able to walk on all surfaces without assistance, both in the home and community. He was also able to jog short distances; hop; jump; dribble and shoot a basketball; and throw and catch accurately. He could stand up and sit down with control, and his endurance for walking improved drastically. Cody became independent and can now go shopping, complete his self-care tasks, and prepare light meals.

Although he still has mild short-term memory loss and trouble finding a certain word to say, Cody has come a long way thanks to his dedication, his familial support system and the Valley Health rehab team.

“It was a big team effort to get him here,” says Emily. “Cody is a really passionate individual and inspiration to other people with traumatic brain injury. He is so aware of what he went through that he wants to help others in similar situations.”

Original source can be found here