Donna and Randy Hensley were living a full, active life when Randy suffered a severe spinal cord injury.
After researching their options for rehabilitation therapy, they selected the Regional One Health Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital.
They say the care they received not only helped Randy make incredible progress, it filled them with hope, confidence, and inspiration as he moved into outpatient therapy.
For Donna and Randy Hensley, life is a whirlwind of activity.
They traveled the world with their now grown son, who played for the U.S. Paralympic soccer team after having a stroke as a teen. They work demanding jobs and still find time to exercise and enjoy everything Memphis has to offer.
“We live downtown, and we joke that we park our car on Friday and we don’t take it out until Monday,” Donna said. “We love to do the Riverwalk; we walk across and jog back. We walk in Tom Lee Park. We’re season ticket holders for the Grizzlies, and we walk to the games.”
All of that changed when Randy fell and suffered a severe spinal cord injury.
“It was a freak thing. He had just run 3 miles that morning. It was the last thing we could have expected,” Donna said.
After Randy had surgery to fuse his vertebrae, Donna started researching rehabilitation facilities. A therapist at the hospital where Randy had his surgery recommended the Regional One Health Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital, highlighting its expertise, technology, and resources.
Donna will forever be grateful for the suggestion.
“We have seen incredible progress, teamwork, innovation, creativity – there aren’t enough words to describe what this team has been able to do for him,” she said. “They’ve come up with so many things outside the box to help him through this process.”
There is no cure for Randy’s diagnosis of Central Cord Syndrome. After surgery, the next step is to see if the body can heal with physical and occupational therapy.
The Regional One Health Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities for its spinal cord program, which means the team has advanced expertise and a proven track record of achieving good outcomes for patients.
Donna Hensley said the Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital team helped her husband Randy make incredible progress after a spinal cord injury. “I feel extremely positive about this team, what they do, their patience. They talk about what’s working and what isn’t working and make adjustments,” she said.
Duncan Monger, Rehabilitative Services Manager, said the staff has a lot of experience with complex diagnoses. “If this wasn’t something we were used to, we wouldn’t be able to help patients like Randy progress so quickly,” he said. “It’s second nature for our team to continually challenge patients and do the extra things they need.”
Mario Ray, MD, MBA, FACP, Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital medical director, and physical medicine & rehabilitation physicians Danielle Hassel, MD, FAAPMR, and Gregory Robbins, MD work together to oversee patients’ medical needs.
“I love that there’s more than one doctor involved. It’s beneficial because there’s more than one person thinking through the process,” Donna said.
Nurses provide care specialized to each patient’s individual needs, and social workers and case managers work with patients and families to help them navigate their care.
Physical, occupational, speech, and recreational therapists oversee the rehabilitation aspect.
During Randy’s seven-week stay, Savannah Seeley, PT and Lindsey Satterlee, OT spent over 60 hours working on his strength, stamina, and mobility so he could be as independent as possible.
When he arrived, he was an incomplete quadriplegic, which means all four limbs were impacted. He had a lot of work to do: “He could wiggle his right index finger and one of his toes, but that was about it,” Satterlee said.
Initially, they combined physical and occupational therapy so Randy wouldn’t be exhausted by multiple sessions. As Randy got stronger – standing at week three, taking assisted steps at week four – they went to separate sessions while staying in close communication about his care.
That collaboration was key, because it quickly became clear Randy’s recovery wasn’t following the typical trajectory of a central spinal cord injury patient.
“Typically, the legs come back before the arms, but the opposite was true for Randy,” Seeley said. “We had to get creative and collaborate with other therapists and doctors.”
At the Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital, a multidisciplinary team of specialized doctors, nurses, and rehabilitation therapists helps patients regain strength, mobility, and independence.
They utilized technology including the EksoNR robotic walking device, which helps retrain the brain and muscles to walk. When Randy had trouble judging the location of his steps, Seeley used her stroke rehab training to add leg weights to help with positioning.
Meanwhile, Satterlee used exercises, splints, and assistive devices to work on the fine motor skills that would allow him to perform daily self-care tasks. “Now he can brush his teeth. He’s brushing his hair. He can eat certain foods,” she said. “He’s come a long way.”
Donna has been amazed by the progress.
“He can now feel his fingers, legs, toes, arms, everything. He’s gone from not being able to move at all to being able to stand and walk with a walker,” she said. “I wouldn’t have thought it was possible in the beginning. I feel extremely positive about this team, what they do, their patience. They talk about what’s working and what isn’t working and make adjustments.”
Seeley and Satterlee said Randy and Donna deserve a lot of credit too.
“The patient has to meet us with the motivation. Randy is so motivated, and Donna’s support is essential,” Seeley said. “That’s a huge part of his success. He’s a very resilient guy.”
As going home became a reality, the team has helped Randy practice skills he would need post-discharge.
They worked on getting in and out of his truck, visited his home to make sure it’s accessible, and provided post-injury education specific to his needs and goals. They even went on a community outing – hitting Central BBQ for lunch – to practice navigating settings outside the home.
Randy also elected to continue his rehabilitation process with the Regional One Health outpatient therapy and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation team. They expect him to continue to progress.
It gave the Hensleys confidence. While they were eager to return to their own surroundings, they had no doubt it would be a bittersweet moment.
“It’s going to be so emotional when we walk out the door. We could not have chosen a better place,” Donna said. “We’re going to shed tears when we leave. They have been so inspirational and meaningful in our lives.”