Ways & Means Winter 2021 by Methodist Rehabilitation Center

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Now I can...

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When you sell flags for a living, you’ve got to love the Fourth of July. But the freedom celebration is especially meaningful to Jim McIntyre, owner of A Complete Flag Source in Jackson. On July 5, 2019, a disabling case of West Nile virus encephalitis nearly cost him his independence. “My body was not properly functioning at all,” he said. “I had very little movement in my arms and legs.” Today, McIntyre is back at work and grateful for Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s expertise. A treatment recommended by West Nile virus expert and MRC researcher Dr. Art Leis “saved my life,” he said. Then the hospital’s inpatient staff helped him see recovery was within reach. “They are extremely attentive and very well trained and knowledgeable,” he said. “I can’t say enough good things about them.” Nationally recognized for expertise in rehabilitation medicine after a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury or amputation.

For more information, visit methodistonline.org or call 601-981-2611 or toll-free 1-800-223-6672.

FROM THE CEO

t is hard to write a letter in 2020 without words and phrases that seem overused.

However, no matter if you see it as “unprecedented,” “extraordinary,” “unparalleled” or any of a dozen or more descriptors thrown about this year, serving patients through the COVID pandemic of 2020 is the one thing that remains the same for Methodist Rehabilitation Center. People continued to have strokes. They continued to experience traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries. And they continued to suffer debilitating neurological issues because of diseases like Gulliain-Barré Syndrome and West Nile Virus. We have been here since 1975 located on the University of Mississippi Medical Center Campus. Our two facilities are physically connected and formally affiliated under the agreement to operate a Neurological Institute. UMMC is the state’s only level one trauma center. Methodist has served as the state’s level one rehabilitation hospital. Our focus has always been on serving the needs of neurologically devastated patients and others recovering from complex orthopedic trauma. Mark Adams

UMMC has levels of medical expertise that do not exist anywhere else in the state. Similarly, MRC provides neurological recovery expertise available nowhere else in the state. UMMC is a teaching hospital for a broad number of allied health professions and medical specialties; MRC is a teaching hospital in our areas of expertise. UMMC is a broad-based research center; MRC is a committed and accomplished rehabilitation research facility. UMMC serves funded, underfunded and unfunded patients. So does MRC. During this pandemic, the double doors at the end of our second floor hallway connecting MRC to UMMC have been restricted to public access. The flow of students, visitors and physicians between the two facilities has diminished in an effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, since July, the teaching and educational training has cautiously resumed between our facilities. Neurosurgery and neurology “grand rounds” (for medical student training) resumed once again in our BankPlus conference room. Nursing students are slowly returning to gain knowledge about caring for our patient population. It has been a symbol of optimism to me as both facilities strive to return to a sense of normalcy and mission focus. In the pages that follow, you will find stories of patients from around the state of Mississippi who have come to our “level one rehab hospital” for care. You will read of the technologies we employed to improve the health and the lives of some of those patients. You will read of the research and experience we put into practice to treat illnesses that many in the healthcare field in Mississippi simply are not equipped and trained to treat. I am always proud to lead this group of dedicated and talented clinicians, technicians and researchers, as well as the support staff that keeps the center maintained and clean and our patients fed and nurtured. However, in my tenure here at MRC, I have never been as proud as I am this year of the team that makes this place run and helps us restore and enhance the lives of those we serve.

President and Chief Executive Officer Methodist Rehabilitation Center

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WAYS & MEANS METHODIST REHABILITATION CENTER | WINTER 2017

CONTENTS

MISSION STATEMENT

In response to the love of God, Methodist Rehabilitation Center is dedicated to the restoration and enhancement of the lives of those we serve. We are committed to excellence and leadership in the delivery of comprehensive rehabilitation services. 4

WAYS & MEANS | METHODISTONLINE.ORG

WAYS & MEANS

2021 EDITION

18 22 25 28 ALSO INSIDE

METHODIST REHABILITATION CENTER | 2021 EDITION

Publisher Doug Boone

BACK ON TRACK

Editor Susan Christensen

After a rare type of stroke, 28-year-old Trey Caroll pushed hard to recover at inpatient and outpatient therapy.

Art Director Carey Miller Contributing Writers Chris Blount, Susan Christensen, Carey Miller

FORWARD PROGRESS

Former Ole Miss running back Ed Thigpen tackles quest to walk again with trademark determination.

Photography Lionel Griffin, Carey Miller, Melanie Thortis Cover photo by Melanie Thortis President and Chief Executive Officer Mark A. Adams Methodist Rehabilitation Center Board of Trustees

COVID COMEBACK

After surviving COVID-19, Tansy Rawls turns to MRC in her fight to overcome the debilitating impact of the disease.

COUNTRY STRONG

Kalyn Smith strives to get back to the farm, back to college and back in the saddle after a life-changing horse riding accident.

News briefs Where are they now? Employees of the year The importance of speech On the rebound Weathering the storm Healed for the holidays Ingenuity in action Healing hands Research publications Wilson Research Foundation honorarium

6 8 10 12 14 16 20 23 33 34 35

Officers David L. McMillin—Chairman of the Board Mike P. Sturdivant Jr.—Treasurer Michael Reddix, M.D.—Secretary Members Phillip Bowman, Jasmine O. Chapman, D.D.S., Matthew L. Holleman, III, Tish Hughes, William R. (Randy) James, Hyung Kim, M.D., Sam M. Lane, Virginia Wilson Mounger, Rev. Robert E. (Bob) Rambo, D. Min., William (Bill) A. Ray, E. B. (Bud) Robinson, Jr., Dobrivoje S. Stokic, M.D., Thomas A. Turner, III, Jennifer Villacorta, M.D., Walter S. Weems, Wirt A. Yerger, III Life Members Rev. Bert Felder, Dean M. Miller Founders Earl R. Wilson, Frank E. Hart, Sr., Hilton L. Ladner, Jesse L. Wofford, M.D. Methodist Rehabilitation Center provides comprehensive medical rehabilitation programs for people with spinal cord and brain injuries, stroke and other neurological and orthopedic disorders. The 124-bed state-of-theart hospital in Jackson has twice been designated a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Model System site by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and is also the only hospital in Mississippi twice named one of America’s best by U.S. News & World Report. Methodist Rehabilitation Center 1350 East Woodrow Wilson Jackson, Mississippi 39216 www.methodistonline.org | 800-223-6672 Ways & Means is published annually by the Methodist Rehabilitation Center Public Relations Department.

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NEWS

News Briefs MRC donates stuffed animals for Children’s patients

Pictured are, from left, Kristin Kappler, UMMC director of children’s quality and clinical support services, Courtney Easterday, UMMC child life assistant, Terri McKie, former MRC gift shop manager, and Cara Williams, UMMC child life specialist. Photo: Susan Christensen

Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s gift shop may have closed, but the gifting continues. Former gift shop manager Terri McKie recently donated nine bulging bags of stuffed animals from the store to Children’s of Mississippi at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Located on the UMMC campus, MRC is a next-door neighbor to Batson Children’s Hospital. So McKie said it was only fitting that Mississippi’s premier hospital for children be the chosen beneficiary of the shop’s cuddliest stock. Kristin Kappler, director of children’s quality and clinical support services, said the gifts couldn’t have come at a better time. “Because of COVID-19, our volunteer services have been suspended, as well as our play and activity rooms,” Kappler said. Methodist Rehab is planning something new for the gift shop space. And while McKie will remain at the hospital in another position, the Batson donation gave her a nice way to say good-bye to a role she’s played since the gift shop opened in 1995. “I’m very happy Batson is receiving these items because its patients, family and staff have been great supporters during the gift shop’s 25 years,” McKie said.

Therapy director Gonzales chosen as CARF surveyor Suzy Gonzales, therapy director at MRC, was chosen as a surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) International, an independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services. Qualifications for the post include Gonzales employment in a CARF-accredited institution, at least five years of experience in the field and knowledge and experience with CARF standards.

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McMillan named chairman of MRC board of trustees David McMillin has been named chairman of the board of trustees for MRC. McMillin recently retired from the Xerox Corporation after 35 years, where he most recently served as a regional financial controller. McMillin A Madison resident, McMillin has previously served as president of Annandale Golf Club and has been a member of the United Way Board of Directors and Stewpot Board of Directors. He and his wife Lyn are members of Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church, where he has served as finance chairman, stewardship chairman and capital campaign chairman. He is current president of the Annandale Property Owners Association. McMillin received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Mississippi and his Master of Business Administration from Millsaps Else School, where he received the Charles H. Sewell award for Outstanding MBA Student. He has been a member of MRC’s board since 1999, serving as secretary and most recently as vice-chair.

MRC speech pathologists earn specialty certifications MRC speech pathologists Abigail Scott and Elizabeth Kubik recently earned two important certifications. From the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), they received the Scott Certificate of Clinical Competence. The designation recognizes the completion of a master’s or doctoral degree from an institution accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation, the completion of a 36-week or longer clinical fellowship with an ASHA-certified speech-language pathology profesKubik sional and passing the Praxis II: Subject Assessment in Speech-Language Pathology. Scott and Kubik also were certified to use VitalStim Therapy, an approach that combines neuromuscular electrical stimulation and traditional techniques to treat swallowing disorders.

MRC OUTCOME MEASURES FISCAL YEAR 2020 Total Number Served

1386

NINETY DAYS AFTER DISCHARGE

MRC PATIENTS ARE

SAME OR BETTER IN THEIR:

Diagnostic Characteristics of Patients Admitted 56 165 156

94%

Orthopedic Spinal Cord Injury Brain Injury General Rehab

200

100%

90%

80%

70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

78.2%

71.5%

MRC

Nation

94%

Percent of Patients Discharged to Skilled Nursing Facility

Percent of Patients Discharged Home

Ability to Move Around

Other Neurologic

336

92%

Ability to Take Care of Oneself

Stroke

473

Overall Health

10.3%

15.4%

MRC

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NEWS

Adam Malone gives a hug to his mother Angela Malone for the first time since muscular dystrophy began to weaken his right arm. Photo: Carey Miller

A detailed view of the Kinova dynamic mobile arm support attached to Adam Malone’s power wheelchair. Photo: Carey Miller

Adam Malone demonstrates how he can now lift a cup to his mouth with the aid of the Kinova dynamic mobile arm support, as Heather Maloney, a seating and mobility specialist at MRC’s Assistive Technology Clinic, looks on. Photo: Carey Miller

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

What MRC alumni have done since they left the therapy gym by Carey Miller and Susan Christensen

ADAM MALONE

When Angela Malone asked for a hug the other day, her son, Adam, could only say, “Mom, you know I can’t.” After muscular dystrophy severely weakened his right arm, the 19-year-old didn’t have the strength for a full embrace. But mother and son recently managed an emotional clinch thanks to a device available from Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s Assistive Technology Clinic in Flowood. Known as the Kinova O540, the device attaches to Adam’s power wheelchair and provides dynamic mobile arm support for everything from hugs to mealtime tasks. “It’s been helping me a whole lot,” Adam said. “Especially with eating¬– picking up utensils, feeding myself, holding drinks.”

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Adam may be familiar to MRC visitors, as he’s the subject of one of the “Now I Can” posters featured at the inpatient hospital’s second floor “Wall of Fame.” Adam’s poster shows him using the power wheelchair customized by seating and mobility specialist Heather Maloney to film football games at his former high school Jackson Prep. Adam says he’s recently switched gears from his interest in audiovisuals to theater, which he is now studying at Hinds Community College. Maloney, who has been working with Adam for five years, also fitted him with the Kinova. Devices like it are a relatively new frontier in mobility technology. “For years, lower extremity functional loss had been addressed with power mobility like power wheelchairs, but there wasn’t the technology yet to address upper extremity functional loss,”

said Kelsey Murman, a product specialist for Kinova. “So now individuals not only can get from point A to point B with their power wheelchair, but also once they reach their destination, they are able to function in their environment using these tasks. It’s very empowering.” Maloney agrees. “It’s the little things, you know?” Maloney said. “At the very first trial, Adam was able to grab a cup and lift it up to his mouth and even scratch an itch on his head. Things he hadn’t been able to do for a while. What may seem like a little thing to some is actually huge for him.” The device is detachable from Adam’s wheelchair and has its own carrying case for safe storage when it’s not needed or during travel. And now that Adam is back to taking his classes at Hinds, he can’t wait to see what else the Kinova can help him do.

Dwight Owens. Photo: Courtesy Dwight Owens

“I’m going to try it with other activities to see what it can do. I’m not sure what yet, but we will find something, I’m sure,” Adam said.

DWIGHT OWENS

Last year, 7-year-old Brailey Owens had to dress like a celebrity for school. And she knew immediately who she wanted to mimic. “She said, ‘Daddy, I want to dress up like you,’” remembers motivational speaker Dwight Owens of Taylorsville. “So we bought her a satin shirt with embroidery on it and a microphone and printed a mustache and beard on her face and she went to school imitating me.” The embroidery said “Still Standing,” a theme Owens has embraced ever since a drunk driver put him in a wheelchair in 2005 at age 22. He published a memoir by that title in 2012. And as a sought-after speaker, mentor and advocate for people with disabilities, he has given more than 500 presentations and shared his story with more than 100,000 people. Owens twice came to MRC for treatment. And he says being in the therapy gym with other patients changed his perspective. “I realized there was no way

From left, Ella, Kate, Maley, Savanna and Crystal Walley. Photo: Courtesy Crystal Walley

I could complain,” he said. “I started paying attention to the joy people had despite their circumstances, and I made a decision nothing would steal my joy.” Owens said he recently spoke to a class of physical therapy students at William Carey College. And the experience reminded him of the impact MRC staff had on his recovery. “I told the students, you can either make or break someone who comes for therapy and Methodist Rehab therapists made me. They really made me believe in myself. They were like family. They made you laugh and didn’t give you time to feel sorry for yourself. When it came time to get out of MRC, I felt like I was prepared.” Owens went on to get married, have a child and earn two national Cabot Community Celebrity awards and a Spirit of Service award from the Corporation for National and Community Service. He’s now on track to receive a master’s of business administration this spring. And he’s made a commitment to be of continued service to people with disabilities. “There are hospitals that call me when they get a new spinal cord injury

patient, and I make sure they don’t leave without hope.”

CRYSTAL WALLEY

Nine years ago, Crystal Walley of Waynesboro was so ill with West Nile virus infection that her family was told she belonged in a nursing home. “They pretty much said I’d be a vegetable,” she said. “I could only move my fingertips and blink my eyes.” Today, that prediction seems preposterous. At age 41, Walley is a busy mom of four girls ranging in age from 5 to 21. The two youngest were adopted four years ago, and Walley is once again in the throes of cheerleader practices and helping out at school. “We’ve started over so I just try to keep up with them,” she said. It isn’t always easy. She still struggles with balance and endurance problems. But she says her time at MRC taught her to persevere. “Oh my goodness, it was my saving grace. When I went to MRC, they never gave up hope. They pushed me to stay positive and moving forward. And I’m proud to be mobile. I might fall five times, but I’m going to get back up.”

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NEWS

Employees

Kaitlin Snyder Clinical Services

KAITLIN SNYDER

Sheila Floyd

Support Services

There were 1,016 steps on the path to success for physical therapist Kaitlin Snyder, Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s Clinical Employee of the Year for inpatient services. That’s the distance from the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s School of Health Related Professions to the fifth floor therapy gym for MRC’s brain injury program. “When I was in school, MRC was the place to go to get the best experience with clinicians, good equipment and a good variety of patients,” Snyder said. “We were all fighting to get a spot because we knew we would learn what we needed to.” When Snyder found herself among the fortunate ones to train at MRC, she was more than grateful. And she was over the moon when the experience led to a full-time position with MRC’s brain injury program. “This is a dream job for those who get to come straight out of school,” she said. “I feel really blessed.” As does MRC’s Therapy Director Suzy Gonzales, who saw Snyder’s potential from the start. “It has been so rewarding watching her grow from being one of our students

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Year

of the

Lori Verhage

Clinical Services, External

who learned from exceptional mentors to being such an experienced PT professional in her field,” Gonzales said. “I have always admired her passion for seeing each patient for who they are and wanting to make a difference in their lives—one step at a time.” While training as a student, Snyder said working with physical therapist Kathleen Dobbs helped her become more self-assured. “She gave me the confidence to be on my own and realize I knew more than I thought I did.” Still, she never expected to follow in Dobbs’ footsteps as Employee of the Year. “I was shocked,” she said. But as a self-confessed “people pleaser” Snyder has a reputation for going all out no matter the goal. A case in point is her performance as captain of the Rowdy Rehabbers, a team of inpatient therapists who raise money each year for MRC’s Wilson Research Foundation. “In my 12-year tenure as the foundation’s executive director, Kaitlin has raised well over $50,000 for our research program,” said Chris Blount. “That makes her the top MRC volunteer fundraiser. In fundraising, she values the research mission, she’s highly organized and goes above and beyond to sustain and grow the program.”

Abdul Muhammad

Support Services, External

A former University of Southern Mississippi cheerleader, Snyder was initially interested in sports PT. She’d been introduced to the practice after rehabbing from a sprained ankle. “But when I got in school, I started doing neuro classes and I loved them. And I liked inpatient PT because you really get to know people.” While working with brain injury patients is “definitely challenging,” Snyder said it’s also “extremely rewarding.” “With the brain, there’s always the chance to get better because the brain can adapt and overcome the injury. You really can’t count anybody out. We see people whose doctors have said they’d never do anything again. But they’ve come to us like that and walked out of here and had a quality of life that a couple of months before they had no chance of.” Snyder believes such success stories are a product of the brain injury program’s emphasis on teamwork. “We always work together and have each other’s backs,” she said. “Patients often comment on the positive environment we have in the gym, which I really do feel contributes to their overall experience. We truly are a family, which makes coming to work all the more enjoyable.”

SHEILA FLOYD

Floyd helps patients with basic care tasks, such as grooming, dressing, bathing and eating. And she makes it a point to be personable. “I listen to them, and try to get to know them,” she said. For the past two and a half years, Floyd has worked on MRC’s brain injury floor, a place where cognitively-impaired patients can be challenging. But she takes it in stride, having learned how to be tolerant during her early years of nursing home employment. “I met a special patient, and she taught me patience,” she said. Prior to her current job, Floyd spent 14 years working at MRC’s Methodist Specialty Care Center in Flowood. It houses a younger, more diverse population than traditional residential care facilities. And over time, Floyd grew close

to many of the residents. “They looked at some of us like family,” she said. As a result, it wasn’t unusual for Floyd to gift her patients with food or other treats. “She has the type of personality that I can see her going above and beyond for the residents,” said Jamie McGee, the CNA coordinator for Methodist Specialty Care. “She’s always up in spirit.” The Employee of the Year recognition comes with money that Floyd used to pay off some bills and buy treats for herself and her three daughters and two grandsons. But it’s not the only way she feels rewarded for what she does every day. “I know I’ve done a good job when I put a smile on a patient’s face,” she said.

LORI VERHAGE

that’s what interested me.” Verhage has worked at the Cleveland clinic since its opening in 2010, getting in on the ground floor of the division’s expansion to seven markets over the past decade. “The first time I visited the Flowood clinic I was impressed by the facility and what they were able to do,” Verhage said. “And by the people too. Everyone was always super nice and ready to share their knowledge.” When Verhage was selected as Clinical Services Employee of the Year for external campuses, she says she was shocked. “I consider myself a modest person, the type that sits in the back row and doesn’t seek a lot of recognition,” she said. “I work with a great crew, both here in Cleveland and in Flowood, any of

which would be deserving of the honor. At all of our offices, really. The people are what make our O&P department great, for sure.” Chris Wallace, director of Methodist O&P, says that selflessness is a small part of what made Verhage deserving of being selected. “Lori is very humble and will likely be embarrassed by the attention, but that further defines the kind of person she is,” he said. “In addition to her tireless work ethic and pleasant personality, Lori is one of the most selfless people I know. She is always positive and upbeat and still willing to help others. Lori is a true ambassador for MRC. Although we have many wonderful staff members in O&P I could not think of anyone more deserving than Lori to win employee of the year.”

ABDUL MUHAMMAD

MRC’s Jackson and Flowood campuses, and currently leads security at Methodist Specialty Care Center, MRC’s long-term care facility for the severely disabled. “Muhammad is my go-to guy,” said Larry McKnight, vice president of long-term care for MRC. “He not only does his job, he exceeds expectations. He’s very thorough and diligent, always thinking about what’s best for the facility, and he takes pride in his job.” Muhammad says receiving the honor of Employee of the Year for External Campuses came as a complete surprise, in part because COVID-19 altered the

usual annoucement process. “I was called into our administrator’s office for something else, and, lo and behold, there was the CEO and HR director to congratulate me over Zoom,” Muhammad said. Muhammad has continued to prove he was deserving of the honor during the pandemic, as MSCC has heightened its security and limited visitors to protect its vulnerable residents. “It’s been a 180-degree turn in the way I perform my duties due to the COVID-19 protocols,” Muhammad said.

Sheila Floyd was just 18 years old when she began caring for residents of a Jackson nursing home. But even as a teen, she knew she’d found a calling. “I like helping others and encouraging them to do their best,” she said. “I treat them the way I’d want to be treated or my family member treated.” That “caring and compassionate demeanor” was one reason Floyd was selected as Support Services Employee of the Year, said Lauren Johnson, nurse manager for MRC’s brain injury program. “You could not ask for a better employee. She is certainly an asset to our team.” As a certified nursing assistant,

Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Lori Verhage is proud to serve her home region as an orthotist/prosthetist at Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics’ Cleveland clinic. “I get to work with a lot of kids, and that’s very rewarding,” she said. The Greenville native is a graduate of Delta State University and got her O&P degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. It was a longtime friend and former employee of Methodist O&P’s Flowood clinic that drew her to the profession. “She always talked about how much she loved her job,” Verhage said. “And when she talked to me about what a huge need there was for services in the Delta, and how many patients had to travel to Jackson to get what they need,

Abdul Muhammad has had a long career in law enforcement and private security. He’s worked variously for the Canton Police, Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Museum of Art and Entergy. The Jackson native joined the staff of MRC originally in 2004, leaving for a brief stint before coming back full time in 2013. He says it feels like home. “It’s like a family,” Muhammad said. “Everyone looks out for each other. It’s a wonderful environment to work in.” Muhammad has worked on both

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SPEECH THERAPY BRAIN INJURY PROGRAM

After suffering a stroke, Dezron Wesley needed speech therapy to overcome both a swallowing and voice disorder. Here, speech therapist Taylor Miller uses neuromuscular electrical stimulation and a device known as the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument to improve his tongue strength. Photo: Carey Miller

The importance of speech Brookhaven man cherishes ability to talk and eat after overcoming voice/swallowing disorders at MRC

lone, paralyzed and unable to utter a word. Dezron Wesley of Brookhaven awoke to that reality after a third stroke sent him to a Jackson hospital on

April 8. Because of COVID-19, his wife, LaTonya Wesley, couldn’t be by his side during the hospitalization. And the 48-year-old said it was frightening to be isolated and incommunicado. “I was at someone’s mercy,” he said. “He told me how scary it was to wake up and not be able to talk or say what he needed,” said Taylor Miller, his speech therapist while at Methodist Rehabilitation Center. “People don’t think about how important speech is,” Wesley said. “I’d rather lose both arms and legs than not be able to talk. It’s more important to me than mobility.”

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by Susan Christensen Wesley arrived at MRC on April 24, and it was his second time to undergo stroke therapy there. He’s more susceptible to multiple strokes due to Moyamoya Disease, a rare, cerebrovascular disorder caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain. Wesley could talk after his first stroke, so he admits he didn’t fully value speech therapy during his first admission. And it seemed he might still be in that mindset during his initial sessions with Miller. “The first thing I understood him to say was: ‘I hate speech therapy,’” Miller said. In the rehab medicine setting, speech therapy addresses everything from swallowing issues to problems thinking, remembering and focusing. And Wesley thought tasks to address his cognitive issues were particularly tedious. This time, though, he proved to be an enthusiastic patient. He knew how

much he needed the help. “When he first came, he was extremely weak, completely unintelligible, and could not produce any voice,” Miller said. “He also had the worst swallow I’ve ever seen.” Wesley had dysphagia, a swallowing disorder that’s a frequent companion to stroke or brain injury. Unlike people with a normal swallow, he could no longer sense when food was going into his airway. Without the cue to cough, he was at risk of aspirating food or liquids into his lungs and developing an infection. He had to rely on a feeding tube for nourishment. Using VitalStim—a device that employs neuromuscular electrical stimulation—Miller was able to re-educate and strengthen Wesley’s oral musculature for speech and swallowing. That therapy coupled with exercise and swallow maneuvers freed Wesley from the feeding tube.

“In three weeks, he went from pureed food to chopped meat, then to a regular diet,” Miller said. Soon, he was filling up on favorites like fried chicken and Chinese food. “My wife was like: ‘Where are you putting all that?’” he said. As happy as he was to eat again— he’d lost over 20 pounds post-stroke— Wesley was more invested in regaining his voice. Miller said he had significant damage to a few of his cranial nerves which severely impacted his speech, as well as swallowing. One was damage to his 10th cranial nerve, known as the Vagus nerve. Symptoms include difficulty speaking, a voice that is hoarse or wheezy and trouble swallowing. He also suffered from dysarthria, a motor speech disorder related to the nerve damage caused by his stroke. “He had a difficult time forming words,” Miller said. “Everything sounded muffled, mumbled and strung together.” Muscles in the face, lips, tongue and throat are all involved in talking, and Miller used a variety of strategies to strengthen and improve their coordination during Wesley’s therapy sessions. For instance, using a device called the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, Wesley did sets of what amounted to tongue pushups. “Taylor has done her part and given me the tools I need,” he said. “I don’t know what I would have done without the techniques she has shown me. I am doing a lot better.” It helped that Wesley made good on his goal to be “a willing participant.” “He has been an absolute delight and made significant improvements,” Miller said. “He has come a long way.” As he left MRC on June 9, Wesley had plans to continue therapy on an outpatient basis. The third stroke also left him paralyzed on his right side, and he hopes to recover enough to resume walking. He also is determined to avoid another stroke, which he realizes will be a challenge because of Moyamoya. Wesley said he felt defeated after his first stroke. “I was a wreck. I thought it was the end of the world.” But his strategy now is to take every opportunity he can to get better. “I’m alive... so I have to make the best of it.”

“People don’t think about how important speech is. I’d rather lose both arms and legs than not be able to talk.” — Dezron Wesley

A mirror provides visual feedback as Dezron Wesley practices exercises that target facial strength, coordination and range of motion. Photo: Carey Miller

In conjunction with neuromuscular electrical stimulation, Dezron Wesley does exercises to improve muscle strength, coordination and range of motion in his face. Photo: Carey Miller

Occupational therapist Chuck Crenshaw puts Gray Spencer through therapy exercises to improve strength and range of motion in his trunk, neck and shoulders. Photo: Carey Miller

BRAIN INJURY PROGRAM

On the rebound MRC helps Ole Miss basketball manager Gray Spencer make rapid comeback from brain-injuring car crash

t’s not how Gray Spencer expected to spend his 22nd birthday—heading home to New Albany after three weeks at Methodist Rehabilitation Center. But on April 22, he was just happy to have overcome a traumatic brain injury in the middle of a global pandemic. “I’m just really thankful,” Spencer said. “I’m blessed to have had good therapists. Without them, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today.” Today, he’s in the midst of a busy senior year at the University of Mississippi. In addition to being manager for the Ole Miss basketball team, he’s also a student teacher at Oxford High School. Neither outcome seemed likely on March 16. On that day, Spencer was driving to campus when he lost control of his car and crashed into a tree along Highway 30. “We got a call that scares you to

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by Susan Christensen death,” said his dad, Bob Spencer. “They said your son is being airlifted, and he’s on a ventilator.” At North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, doctors discovered bleeding inside Spencer’s brain. “They said he had such a blow, his brain had probably hit against his skull,” his dad said. The doctors decided against surgery, believing the bleed would resolve itself. But Spencer was hardly out of the woods. He remembers nothing of his two weeks in Tupelo or his arrival at MRC on March 31. “The first day, he was sitting in the wheelchair, and he couldn’t even lift his head up. It was down in his lap,” said MRC physical therapist Kollin Cannon. “He had a really flexed posture,” said MRC occupational therapist Chuck Crenshaw. “He was bent over in a ball, and I couldn’t even get his back extended with the assistance of two other people.” Spencer also couldn’t communi-

cate. “For three days, he couldn’t get any words out,” Cannon said. So his initial therapy centered on promoting alertness, verbalization and following commands. Four days in, it was as if he suddenly woke up. “He started doing sit-ups on the tilt table,” marveled Cannon. “I asked him how he felt and he said: ‘Elite.’” That was a Saturday, and by Monday he was trying to walk. “His balance was terrible, but he was cracking jokes,” Cannon said. “They were like: Who is this guy?” his dad said. A former high school basketball standout and cross-country runner, Spencer was a regular at the gym. “I worked out and lifted weights every day,” he said. “He was about as conditioned as our players, for sure,” said Ole Miss basketball coach Kermit Davis. “And he has great grit, I’ve seen that from him work-

Incorporating basketball skills into Gray Spencer’s therapy sessions is one way physical therapist Kollin Cannon, left, kept him motivated. Here, the former high school standout and Ole Miss basketball manager works on dynamic balance, coordination, strength and endurance. Photo: Carey Miller

ing with us.” His therapists saw it, too. “He had such a strong base of strength to work with that he was able to muscle through some things that would have been difficult for other people,” Crenshaw said. “He kept making jumps and was always pushing. He kept getting better so fast.” An Ole Miss fan, Crenshaw knew from Twitter chatter that Spencer might be coming to MRC. And he was hoping he’d be one of his patients. Initially, the Spencers considered a transfer to an out-of-state rehab hospital. But news that it would take 10 days to be admitted made them rethink the choice. “A neurologist in Tupelo said that one rehab that is as good as any is Methodist in Jackson,” said Bob Spencer. “And I have a niece that works at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and she said good things about it, too. It also turned out he could get in quicker. I think God led us here. “I can’t say enough about the people—from the cleaning staff, the nurses, assistants, doctors and therapists—everybody who had a hand in it made us feel they were more than happy to help.” MRC’s physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and respiratory, physical, occupational and speech therapists work

as a team to help patients achieve their goals. And their extensive experience with brain injury patients makes them masters at keeping people motivated in the therapy gym. In Spencer’s case, that meant incorporating his love for basketball into exercises to improve his strength, endurance, coordination and balance. “We worked on shooting free throws to improve his high level depth perception and coordination,” Crenshaw said. And to work on his weak left side, Spencer caught firm bounce passes in his left hand while balancing on an unstable surface. With Cannon, Spencer also did a lot of pacing the halls. “One day we walked 1,000 feet,” Cannon said. Spencer deemed it “a PT record,” which is in keeping with his highly competitive nature. So speech therapist Taylor Miller decided to use his love of one-upmanship to achieve some therapy goals. They went one-on-one during timed cognitive therapy tasks. “I’m not going to lie, he did beat me on occasion,” she said. “He really did make great progress. There was no reason he wouldn’t be able to continue with his education.” Spencer said it helped that he had an outpouring of support. Since they

couldn’t visit because of the COVID-19 crisis, Coach Davis and the team kept in touch via calls and texts. “That motivated me to get back, and I was ready to get back,” Spencer said. At the time, Coach Davis said: “We’ll welcome him with open arms in any capacity he wants to be in.” Still, Spencer did make one concession to reclaim his post. His doctor made him promise he’d give up practice drills with the team. Because of his brain injury, he can’t risk being hit in the head. “Now I mainly deal with the offcourt duties of manager,” Spencer said. It would make sense if Spencer wanted to forget 2020. He woke from his brain injury to a world torn apart by a pandemic. “Everything had changed,” he said. “When they told me how bad it was, I didn’t believe it.” Still, he had reason to be thankful. He said he owes a lot to MRC’s staff— from the doctors, therapists and nurses who guided his recovery to the employees who cooked his meals, cleaned his room and even changed his diapers. “I think about them every day,” he said. “I’m eternally grateful for all they did for me.

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ORTHOPEDICS

Occupational therapist Morgan Nutt, at right, works with Hailly Bernard on standing balance during a therapy session. Bernard is holding a baby doll weighted to simulate her child’s size to help her practice her new mom duties. Photo: Carey Miller

Weathering the storm Expectant mom tossed by tornado works hard in rehab to overcome injuries, return home to preemie

ailly Bernard’s story could be headlined: Mother Nature vs. Mother-To-Be. In the wee hours of Jan. 11, the eight-monthspregnant 18-year-old was sent flying by the force of an EF-3 tornado in Drew. The experience earned her the nickname Dorothy from her physician at Methodist Rehabilitation Center and a ton of respect from her therapy team. “She is really a pretty strong lady to have gone through all this,” said Chris McGuffey, her physical therapist. “She broke her pelvis and also had a spinal fracture in her lower back. Thank goodness there were no neurological issues. “Mostly she had to deal with pain, but not as bad as you would have thought being thrown by a tornado. She said labor pain was worse.”

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by Susan Christensen The storm hit at 4:15 a.m. while Bernard and boyfriend Austin Rone were sound asleep in his father’s mobile home in Drew. “I had checked the radar, and it was supposed to be just light rain,” Rone said. But Bernard said she awoke to “the scariest noise I ever heard.” “I started hearing really bad winds and bangs, so I got up to cut the light on to see what it looked like. The walls and doors looked like they were breathing, so I started screaming.” A groggy Rone told her to go back to sleep. But she was wide awake and praying as she tried to call her mom. “The next thing we knew, all the walls came unattached, and I went flying with them, while Austin was still on the floor having furniture slamming into him,” Bernard said. “I thought

“I knew I had to protect my baby, so I was shielding my stomach the whole time I was getting slammed around while things were getting thrown at me. It felt like I was in an ocean trying to swim to the surface.” — Hailly Bernard

he was dead or going to be dead.” As she clicked into survival mode, Bernard’s thoughts turned to her pregnancy. “I knew I had to protect my baby, so I was shielding my stomach the whole time I was getting slammed around while things were getting thrown at me. It felt like I was in an ocean trying to swim to the surface.” Finally, she hit the ground in a field behind the mobile home. With a broken pelvis, she couldn’t stand. So she begin crawling for help, all the while praying. Meanwhile, Rone had left the pile of rubble that had been his father’s home to dash to his grandmother’s home nearby. As he frantically searched for keys to his uncle’s truck so he could search for Bernard, she made it to his grandmother’s porch. “I opened the door and she was right there,” he said. “He ran over and grabbed me, and I instantly felt relief,” she said. “God had heard me.” Medical help arrived soon and Bernard was stabilized at a Cleveland hospital. She then traveled by ambulance to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Since she was still a month away from her due date, doctors hoped to delay her delivery. But by the evening of Jan. 12, she was headed to surgery for an emergency C-section. “They took her at 10:23 p.m. and by 10:28 p.m., he was born,” Rone said. Despite being premature, little Grayson—nicknamed Nado—was healthy on arrival. “My baby doesn’t have one thing wrong with him—he’s my miracle baby,” Bernard said. Bernard, on the other hand, looked a little worse for the wear, sporting gashes on her nose and left foot, bruises and cuts all over her body and a brace to stabilize her back. Still, she was gung-ho as soon as she started therapy at MRC on Jan. 17. “For a patient her age, it’s unusual to expect the kind of focus and determination she had,” said Dr. Jennifer Villacorta, her physician at MRC. “But she had a lot more than just herself to motivate and focus on; she had little Grayson to go home to and take care of, too. “She was able to accomplish a safe and appropriate early discharge too, which is a testament to her tenacity.” Since Bernard was eager to get home to Greenville and her baby, therapy centered on physically preparing her for childcare duties.

Austin Rone, at left, and Hailly Bernard feel fortunate to have survived an EF-3 tornado and that their baby, Grayson, suffered no ill effects from being born a month early. Photo: Carey Miller

“We always tailor our program to the individual and what they have to do,” McGuffey said. “She is a new mother so everything was built around her and the baby.” “We did simulated tasks with a weighted baby doll,” said MRC occupational therapist Stephanie Lynchard. “She did diaper changing, putting the baby to bed, getting the baby dressed and feeding the baby.” Lynchard said she mainly worked with Bernard on improving her balance. “You don’t want her to fall with the baby,” she said. So she spent time emphasizing the safest ways to pick up and carry her child. “I did a lot of education with her on positioning, not reaching forward from her hips when holding objects—including the baby.” While Bernard was walking when she left MRC on Jan. 29, McGuffey recommended she use a rolling walker for long distances until her pelvis and back were completely healed. As she left MRC, Bernard was more than ready to get back home and even go back to work as a waitress at La Sierrita in Greenville. Bernard has fond memories of all the MRC staff who were exceptionally kind to a new mom and her baby. And they in turn won’t soon forget the teen who triumphed over a Delta twister. “I’ve seen all manner of people who’ve had car wrecks, gunshot wounds, diving accidents and falls from buildings and tree stands,” said McGuffey, who is an Assistive Technology Professional, a Seating and Mobility Specialist and a certified Neurological Clinical Specialist. “But this is my first patient to be picked up and thrown by a tornado.”

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STROKE PROGRAM

Back on track Through inpatient and outpatient therapy at MRC, 28-year-old Trey Carroll gets back to work after a rare type of stroke

rey Carroll didn’t expect “recover from a stroke” to be on his to-do list before turning 30. “I worked out all the time, I ate really clean and I don’t think I was that stressed out,” the Madison resident said. “I thought of myself as a healthy person, with a strong heart and low blood pressure.” Carroll was likely more fit than the average 28-year-old. Nevertheless, last July he had a stroke that completely paralyzed his left side. He soon found himself working hard in the stroke recovery program at Methodist Rehabilitation Center, alongside other patients mostly twice his age. “I had the flu the week before it happened, and something still just wasn’t feeling right,” Carroll said. “On that Friday and Saturday, I was having vision problems. Then on Sunday night, I felt a pop in the back of my head, and it felt like I had acid running down the right side of my face. And my left side just immediately stopped working.” Carroll suffered a basilar artery dissection, which is a tear in the inner layer of the artery that supplies blood flow to the brain. It’s a rare condition, with limited knowledge and research regarding its causes. “The ‘why’ is going to be a question for the rest of my life,” Carroll said. Carroll spent about a week and a half at St. Dominic Hospital as they tried to figure out what happened, before he was referred to MRC for therapy. “By the time I got to Methodist, I had gained a little movement back,” Carroll said. “But I couldn’t walk with-

by Carey Miller out help or I was going to fall down. I was so glad to be out of the hospital bed, so I could try to get moving and test my body to get back on track. Methodist is the perfect place for that. For three to four hours a day they had me working.” Carroll shared a special camaraderie with physical therapist Chris McGuffey. He was once on the same soccer team as McGuffey’s brother. McGuffey worked with him on walking using one of the hospital’s newest therapy devices, the ZeroG Gait and Balance System. Attached to an overhead track, the harness system supported Carroll’s body weight and provided a safe, controlled environment for practicing various therapy tasks. “You can do more quote-unquote ‘dangerous’ therapy activities with no risk of falling, because it automatically catches them if they start to fall,” said McGuffey, who is an Assistive Technology Professional, a Seating and Mobility Specialist and a certified Neurological Clinical Specialist. “Chris worked with me overtime,” Carroll said. “He would get me up in the ZeroG and we’d work on walking, and he eventually got a soccer ball out for us to pass around and dribble. That was really good for me.” “I was able to challenge his balance in ways that were relevant to him,” McGuffey said. “He played soccer all through high school and was very good at it. So we were working on balance, but it was also fun. I saw him for more than the scheduled time because I knew he would benefit from it. We try to do that with our younger patients, to give

them a little more therapy because they can tolerate it.” Carroll also worked with occupational therapist Lindsey Klaus. “We did a lot of higher-level balance training on top of what he did with physical therapy,” she said. “I had him perform tasks like pinning clothespins to a frame while on all fours. That was to strengthen his core stability and hip strength. I always had to pick my brain to come up with challenges for him, because he always wanted more of a challenge.” Carroll also saw speech therapist Abigail Scott, who used a special device called the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, or IOPI, for short, which measures tongue strength and provides resistance for therapy exercises. “He really liked using the IOPI, because he felt it was giving him the most benefit,” Scott said. “Cognitively, he was doing really well. So we focused on him having really clear speech, which was very important to him. He noticed his ‘S’ sounds didn’t sound like the way he usually talked, so we worked a lot on that.” “I was slurring my words really bad, especially when I got tired,” Carroll said. After nearly two weeks of therapy, Carroll left MRC and was referred to Quest, MRC’s intensive outpatient program in Ridgeland for those wishing to return to work. It is the only such program in Mississippi. “By the time I left inpatient, I could take care of myself,” Carroll said. “I went from needing someone to help me put on my shoes to being able to walk

“At Methodist, you’re surrounded by such positive people that you know you’re going to get better.” — Trey Carroll 18

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Trey Carroll warms up for a workout on Jan. 22, the day he finished his therapy at MRC’s Quest program. Photo: Carey Miller

Trey Carroll practices walking up steps with physical therapist Bethany Truhett. Photo: Carey Miller

During inpatient therapy, occupational therapist Lindsey Klaus had Trey Carroll work on his core strength by pinning clothespins to a pole while on all fours. Photo: Carey Miller

around by myself.” Carroll worked in sales for GovEase in Madison, a company that makes software for facilitating county tax sales. His therapy at Quest focused on getting back to work. “My first goal was to build up my endurance for work, staying alert and awake for day-to-day functions like using a computer,” Carroll said. “The ultimate goal was to get back to 100 percent and traveling extensively like I did before. Software sales is a very fast-paced job.” He worked to build that endurance extensively with physical therapist Erin Perry over a period of about four months. “The biggest challenge with Trey was his neurologist put him on a heart rate restriction to let his arterial dissection heal,” she said. “At first, we couldn’t get his heart rate above 90, which for most people would be a problem. But his was naturally low because he was in such good shape before. It eventually got lifted to 120 so I could push him a bit harder. But he always came in ready to

Speech therapist Abigail Scott worked with Trey Carroll using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI), which measures tongue strength and provides resistance for therapy exercises. Photo: Carey Miller

work and up for a new challenge.” He also continued occupational therapy with therapists Kari Richeson and Allison Harris, as well as speech therapy with therapist Cassie Means. “A big part of his job is face-to-face meetings with clients,” Richeson said. “So on top of his cognitive fatigue, he had some stress related to not being able to perform at the level he was used to. We also discussed him advocating for himself with his employer, to say while I can’t travel six hours away, I can do this. And his employer was very accommodating.” “It was obvious he really loved his job,” Harris said. “He was super motivated to go back, so we knew it was up to us to help him transition into it slowly, starting with no travel and building up from there.” When Carroll returned to work full time, however, the travel did begin to take a toll on him. “I wasn’t in a place physically or mentally to be flying or driving long hours every other week,” Caroll said. So in March, Caroll left GovEase

and in June started his own business, NexTest. He is a Birkman counsultant, where he adminsters the same-named behavioral assessment test to high school students. “I really struggled to know what I wanted to do until I took the Birkman test at 27,” Carroll said. “I want to help students avoid my mistakes.” Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Carroll is working hard “for the most part, full days without any notice of having had a stroke.” He says he owes it all to MRC. “Everything was great across the board, from inpatient to outpatient,” he said. “The therapy was great, and the people are great—they are what make it amazing. “When you experience something this traumatic at such a young age, the mental component is the biggest. You can’t help but wonder how the rest of your life is going to be. At Methodist, you’re surrounded by such positive people that you know you’re going to get better.”

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SPECIALTY CARE CENTER

Larry McKnight, vice president of long-term care for Methodist Rehabilitation Center, was among a crowd of well-wishers who greeted Michael Jordan and his mother, Mary Jordan, as they prepared to leave Methodist Specialty Care Center. Photo: Carey Miller

Healed for the holidays Former Methodist Specialty Care Center resident Michael Jordan makes amazing comeback from rare disease

ichael Jordan of Greenwood was never supposed to make it home for the holidays. Tethered to a ventilator and unable to walk, the 40-year-old seemed destined to live out his life at Methodist Specialty Care Center in Flowood. The residential care facility is designed for the severely disabled, and Jordan knew he needed the center’s expertise. Still, he couldn’t imagine a future so far from family. “I was depressed and I wanted to give up,” he said. “But the big man above wouldn’t let me give up.” Neither would the caregivers at MSCC. “They motivated me to keep on fighting the good fight,” he said. And on Dec. 18, they were by his side as he celebrated his success. Six months after arriving at MSCC via a power wheelchair, Jordan wiggled through a crowd of well-wishers and headed out the door on his own two feet. Jordan was obviously moved as he returned hugs, handshakes, fist bumps and tremulous smiles. And the staff got choked up, as well. Dramatic recoveries are rare in places that serve people with quadriplegia, brain injury, ALS and the like. So, “it was a very good day to be in health care,” said Larry McKnight, vice president of long-term care for Methodist Rehabilitation Center, which opened MSCC in 2004. When Jordan arrived at MSCC in June 2019, his condition had so far defied an exact diagnosis. But there was no mistaking its impact. His once strong muscles had gone on strike, forcing him to rely on a machine to breathe, a wheelchair to move and a feeding tube to eat. Jordan said his decline began about two years ago with a crippling fatigue. “I just got weaker and weaker,” he said. “I’d get up in the morning and walk to the bathroom, then I’d have to sit down

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by Susan Christensen for five minutes. Every little thing, I had to take a break.” He told himself he just needed to stay active and work out. “But I never had the energy,’’ he said. Or the strength. “I couldn’t even do one push-up, and I knew something was wrong. But I was scared to go to the doctor.” His mother, Mary Jordan, finally got him to Greenwood Leflore Hospital on Jan. 21. “They said if I had come in a couple of days later, I would have died,” he said. “It was panic time, and I had to pray real hard because this might be the end,” Mary Jordan said. When his sickness first started, Jordan’s mother had been told her son “had the heart of an old man.” “I thought that was what was weighing him down,” she said. But when medical tests couldn’t pinpoint the root of Jordan’s problems, he was transferred to an ICU at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. By mid-March 2019, he was back at Greenwood Leflore with no exact diagnosis. His status was still unchanged in June, so he was moved to MSCC. “We are considered the premier facility in the state for vent-dependent residents,” McKnight said. “Our staff probably gets more experience on a daily basis with ventilators than a regular nursing home would have in a lifetime.” If Jordan was ever to return home, he’d need the expertise of MSCC’s respiratory therapy staff to help him breathe on his own again. But first someone needed to solve the mystery of why he was so sick in the first place. As an affiliate partner with UMMC, MRC has access to a variety of specialists at the state’s only academic medical center. And MSCC Medical Director John Wofford was adamant that Jordan keep follow-up appointments with UMMC staff. “I

wanted him to go because it wasn’t clear what he had,” Dr. Wofford said. Jordan ended up in the hands of Dr. Saurabh Shukla, a newly arrived neurologist at UMMC. And the young physician’s passion for solving medical puzzles provided a breakthrough. “I’m always on the lookout for something reversible,” Dr. Shukla said. “If something is treatable, you don’t want to miss out on that.” Dr. Shukla said meeting Jordan for the first time was troubling. “A 40-yearold person with a trach, it’s devastating to see that,” he said. “And the hospital had worked so hard and hadn’t yet found Methodist Specialty Care Center respiratory therapists Janisia Hutton, left, a cause.” and Felisha Davis, right, were instrumental in helping Michael Jordan, center, As he combed through Jordan’s wean off a ventilator and return home to Greenwood. Photo: Carey Miller extensive medical records, Dr. Shukla could see why his case was confusing. There were signs that congestive heart failure might have led to his lung “When his legs and arms got strong enough, he was walkproblems. Or that his time in ICU had resulted in critical illness ing down the hall pushing the wheelchair with his ventilator in myopathy, a disease of the limb and respiratory muscles charit. You don’t see that every day.” acterized by widespread muscle weakness and a failure to wean Eager to get off the breathing machine, Jordan began workfrom mechanical ventilation. Doctors had also suspected myasthenia gravis (MG), a ing with MSCC’s team of respiratory therapists. They took him chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that causes weakfrom ventilator to tracheotomy tube to totally breathing on his ness in the skeletal muscles. But lab tests didn’t confirm the own. most common form of the disease. “He had his prayers and his faith, and we were aggressive According to the National Institutes of Health, the condiwith him,” said respiratory therapist Felisha Davis. “To see tion primarily affects muscles that control eye and eyelid movesomeone progress like that was amazing.” ment, facial expression, chewing, talking and swallowing. The “He came a long way, and we’re so happy for him,” said symptoms didn’t exactly fit Jordan’s experience, but Dr. Shukla respiratory therapist Janisia Hutton. “He’s so young and still has recognized a pattern he’d seen before. a lot of life ahead of him.” Jordan’s problems with breathing, swallowing and shoulJordan said he believes God has something in store for him, der weakness reminded Dr. Shukla of MuSK myasthenia gravis (MMG). It’s a rarer form of MG that impacts about 5 to 8 perand he’s ready for a new journey. cent of people with the disease. “I hope I can give someone who “I’ve seen five cases here, and when might be going through the same thing I I was a neuromuscular fellow in Miami went through the opportunity to believe and neurology resident at Harvard, I had in our heavenly father above,” he said. about 15,” said Dr. Shukla, who is board “I’m blessed to see another day.” certified in general neurology, neuro“I hope I can give And he’s more than happy to be muscular medicine and electrodiagnostic someone who might back in Greenwood surrounded by the medicine. familiar comforts of home. And sure enough, when Dr. Shukla be going through After months of being on a feeding tested for MMG, the results confirmed the same thing his hunch. tube, Jordan couldn’t wait to enjoy his Dr. Shukla prescribed steroids and I went through mom’s cooking. “I love her lasagna,” he a promising MMG drug called Rituxsaid. “She makes it from scratch, and it’s the opportunity imab, and the effect was dramatic. super good.” “He told me the very first treatment, to believe in our Mary Jordan said she spent the days he could feel a change,” said Mary Jorbefore her son’s MSCC discharge decoheavenly father dan. “By the second treatment, I saw it rating the house for Christmas and prein his face. He just started blossoming.” above. I’m blessed paring his favorite foods. “It has been really fun to see him to see another day.” But in her son’s eyes, having her get better,” Dr. Wofford said. “So many company was enough. “She’s my heart,” — Michael Jordan people out here aren’t able to get better, so he’s unusual. he said.

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SPINAL CORD INJURY PROGRAM

After being temporarily paralyzed by a spinal cyst, Ed Thigpen was delighted to be able to practice walking again with physical therapist Kollin Cannon. Photo: Carey Miller

Forward progress Former Ole Miss running back Ed Thigpen tackles quest to walk again with trademark determination

s a running back for the 1989 Ole Miss Rebels, Drew native Ed Thigpen gained 327 yards rushing, scored five touchdowns and made the front page of USA Today. Yet he says the best moment in his life happened in the therapy gym of Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson. “I stood up without needing anything for one minute,” he said. That might seem a tiny victory for someone Ole Miss Coach Billy Brewer called “my kind of guy” for his hard-nosed playing style. But Thigpen had been humbled by a health scare he never expected. “I woke up on Dec. 18 and couldn’t move anything from the waist down,” said Thigpen, who is Drew’s assistant Chief of Police. Thigpen first thought his legs were asleep. But when he couldn’t even lift them with his hands, he began googling stroke symptoms.

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by Susan Christensen “I had none of the 10,” he said. So he figured he might be having a light heart attack. Tests at a hospital in Clarksdale revealed possible spinal problems, and Thigpen was flown to Methodist Le Bonheur Hospital in Memphis. Doctors there found a cyst the size of a golf ball on his spine. And Thigpen was told he’d need immediate surgery to prevent the possibility of lifelong paralysis. “After the doctor explained it, I said: ‘Where do I sign?’ By 4:30 a.m., they were prepping me for surgery.” When the surgeon came by the next day, he asked Thigpen: “What can you do?” Thigpen slid a leg sideways, and the surgeon got emotional. “He hugged me and said: ‘God is good,’” Thigpen said. “I could see the excitement of him seeing I was moving. That motivated me, too.” As he got ready to start rehab, Thigpen said he initially planned to go to a facility in the Delta where he’d be close to family. But a social worker at his first choice advised he’d be better off at MRC.

ORTHOTICS & PROSTHETICS “She said we do therapy three days a week. But there’s a place in Jackson that does three hours a day, five days a week and it’s intense. She said I think that’s what you need. And I owe her—I did need five days a week. Finding Methodist Rehab was the best decision I ever made. At the time, I couldn’t do anything but wiggle my toes.” The day after Thigpen’s Jan. 2 arrival at MRC, physical therapist Chris McGuffey put him through a series of tests to gauge his abilities. And when he was asked to stand between two parallel bars, Thigpen tried to get by using his arms for support. “Chris said: ‘You might not know this, but you’ve got strength in your legs and you’re going to walk,’” Thigpen said. “And that day motivated me to do what I had to do.” Accustomed to working a graveyard shift, Thigpen often awoke in the wee hours of the morning. So he asked his therapists for exercises he could do in bed. “I’d do leg raises, leg scissors and lift my hips—anything to make me stronger,” he said. “He’s one of the most motivated patients I’ve ever had,” said MRC occupational therapist Chuck Crenshaw. Crenshaw said he was aware of Thigpen’s athletic ability because his dad had been a big fan of his playing style. “He was just a big, strong physical runner who would just run you over,” Crenshaw said. “So it made sense he could fight through all this.” “His approach was to come in with an athlete’s work ethic,” said MRC physical therapist Kollin Cannon. “He wanted to push himself. He would tell me if things were too easy.” He’d also add his own workouts to the therapy mix. “He’d say: ‘I’m going to add eight squats here,’” Cannon said. All the hard work made for a quick recovery. Thigpen went from barely able to stand on shaky legs to meeting his goal to walk out of MRC on Jan. 22. “I did believe I’d be independent again, but I’m walking further than I ever imagined,” Thigpen said. And he said he has a lot of people to thank for his progress. “You cannot do this without family support, community support and religious support,” said the father of four and deacon for Mt. Israel Baptist Church. Thigpen said he’s also grateful for MRC’s staff. And he hopes to be of service by volunteering at the Jackson hospital once a month. “They are positive, and they care,” he said. “I owe this place a lot.”

Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics added making face shields to its normal job of building prosthetic limbs and braces. Staff involved in the project include, from left, Jesse Oaks, Pam Liberatore, Luly Johnson and director Chris Wallace. Photo: Lionel Griffin

Ingenuity in action O&P answers call to create face shields during COVID-19 crisis

by Susan Christensen

ost days, the staff at Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics in Flowood focuses on building prosthetic limbs and orthopedic braces. Now, they’re also creating personal protective gear for workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. It all started when Mark Adams, the CEO of Methodist Rehabilitation Center, saw a YouTube video about a New York City hospital using 3-D printing to fashion desperately needed face shields. “We don’t have a 3-D printer,” Adams said. “But I thought the injection molding process used by our orthotics and prosthetics division might be an option to produce shields. I called Chris Wallace, director of Methodist O&P, and he said our Flowood clinic was already working on a prototype.” “We came up with three or four versions and kept refining them,” Wallace said, adding that the effort has been an “all-hands-on-deck” project. And it’s not the first time staff has gotten creative for a good cause. Wallace once created a ball cap liner for a young pitcher who needed protection after a skull fracture but refused to wear a helmet on the mound. Staff also answered a call to outfit a three-legged dog with a prosthetic limb. The first batch of shields went to protect residents and staff at Methodist Specialty Care Center, MRC’s long-term care facility in Flowood. The center is home to 60 severely disabled residents, who could be especially vulnerable to infections due to conditions such as quadriplegia and ALS. Methodist O&P also began offering extras to other local entities. A call to Flowood Mayor Gary Rhoads’ office gave MRC an opportunity to provide some help outside its four walls during the pandemic. Flowood Emergency Operations Director Nathan Harvell also was given 50 shields to be used by the city’s police department during the COVID-19 crisis. “I think this was a great gift,” Harvell said. “While this is going on, we are being extra cautious. And this is an extra tool we can use to protect our officers. It really helps and we appreciate that.” MRC also donated 90 shields to the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, as well as 339 shields to the Mississippi Legislature when it went back into session in May. Adams said the effort shows MRC can be flexible to benefit patients and the community, and he’s proud of the O&P staff’s ingenuity. Wallace, in turn, said it has buoyed his staff’s spirit to be of service. “It has been a tremendous morale boost because we have something we can do to contribute to the fight.”

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These days, De’Mon McClinton has great affection for the familiar. After a stroke at age 35, he thought he’d lost the lifestyle he’d taken for granted. So the Brandon father of three was thrilled to reclaim his role as a technical media producer at WLBT. “It feels like home,” he said of the Jackson TV station. McClinton spent about 14 months in therapy. And he says staff at Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s hospital and outpatient clinics were the key to his comeback from right-side paralysis. “I couldn’t even begin to express how much I appreciate them,” he said. “When you feel like you matter to people who are trying to get you back to a certain point, it’s added motivation when you don’t feel like doing anything. It’s the extra kick in the butt you need.” Nationally recognized for expertise in rehabilitation medicine after a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury or amputation.

For more information, visit methodistonline.org or call 601-981-2611 or toll-free 1-800-223-6672.

NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE

COVID Comeback

After surviving COVID-19, Tansy Rawls turns to MRC to help in her fight to overcome the debilitating impact of the disease by Susan Christensen

Tansy Rawls with her two beloved dogs, from left, Diamond and Snow. Photo: Melanie Thortis

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Thinking of getting back home to Diamond and Snow is what kept Tansy Rawls going through her illness. Photo: Melanie Thortis

fter being hospitalized with COVID-19 for 49 days, Tansy Rawls missed her own bed, her two dogs and food that didn’t come out of a hospital

cafeteria. So she initially resisted a transfer to Methodist Rehabilitation Center. “I did not want to go. I felt like it was time to go home,” said the 55-yearold Jackson resident. “But they convinced me. And it was the best thing, because I couldn’t do anything but stand up, really.” Rawls left MRC walking on her own. But even after 12 days of intense therapy, she was still far from recovered. Like a lot of people hospitalized by the virus, she discovered there’s no easy comeback from COVID-19. “Normally when someone previously healthy gets in respiratory distress, they jump back into health fairly easily and relatively fast,” said Dr. Jennifer Villacorta, medical director at MRC. “But we are seeing our post-COVID-19 patients recover a lot slower, the degree of debilitation being much more severe.

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“That’s why a course of intensive therapy is always to their better advantage. They have a lot to come back from.” Villacorta has seen the virus impact the vascular and neurological systems as well, causing complications like extensive blood clotting and cognitive decline. She said some patients have also presented like victims of a mild stroke. “Their thought process is notably and admittedly slower,” she said. Several studies published this summer have found evidence of neurological problems potentially related to COVID-19, including stroke, impaired consciousness, cranial nerve manifestations (smell and taste dysfunctions) and autoimmune disorders such as Guillain-Barré Syndrome. COVID-19 patients also can be susceptible to post-intensive care syndrome (PICU), which is defined as “new or worsening impairments in physical, cognitive or mental health status arising after critical illness and persisting beyond acute care hospitalization.” Given rehab medicine’s long history of treating stroke, brain and spinal injuries, MRC already had the expertise

to help post-COVID-19 patients overcome such conditions. Its therapists also frequently treat debility, the disabling muscle weakness and reduced heart and respiratory function that can strike those who’ve been bedridden. Realizing that many COVID-19 survivors will need ongoing treatment in outpatient settings, the journal Physical Therapy recently issued guidelines for providing that care. And Joe Jacobson, director of Methodist Outpatient Services, said staff at MRC’s clinics in Flowood and Ridgeland are ready to be of service. “These people are in need, and that’s right in our wheelhouse,” Jacobson said. “We have a lot to offer from the standpoint of strengthening and endurance and assisting with a return to work.” What’s more, several of MRC’s therapists have specialized certifications in neurological rehabilitation. And at Methodist Physicial Medicine, Dr. Philip Blount is available to evaluate the condition of post COVID-19 patients and prescribe a recovery regimen. Counseling services are also available through MRC to help patients deal

“I had kidney failure, heart failure, lung failure— it tried to take me out. I really think my dogs are what saved my life.” —Tansy Rawls

with the fallout of such a frightening disease. “That close brush with death is an enormous thing to experience,” Villacorta said. “And these patients have to go through that being and feeling pretty much alone, not being able to have visitors in the ICU.” “You feel like you are in prison,” Rawls said. “You can’t see family … but it gives you a lot of time to talk to God.” Rawls spent 22 days on a ventilator, and it was literally nightmarish. The whole time she had vivid dreams of people trying to kill her. Turns out, the disease nearly did. “I had kidney failure, heart failure, lung failure—it tried to take me out,” she said. “I really think my dogs are what saved my life. I knew no one would treat them like I treat them or love them like I love them.” Because she lives alone, Rawls said there was no one around to recognize her initial COVID-19 symptoms. She thought her extreme fatigue was the result of a recent treatment for multiple sclerosis. “I was so unbelievably weak. I have

stairs, and I had to sit down before I got to the bottom. After four or five days, I thought it was going on too long, but I’m stubborn. And I don’t like hospitals anyway. So I procrastinated. A friend on the phone said you are breathing funny, and you need to be checked. I was like, I’ll go tomorrow. But she said: ‘If you don’t go today, I’m going to call an ambulance.’ So I said I’d go.” While she waited in an urgent care center parking lot for her turn to be seen, Rawls said she must have blacked out. “When I got inside, they said they had called me twice. My temperature was like 104, and I never felt it at all. I think that was like a Friday and by Sunday I was on a ventilator.” Rawls has no idea when she was exposed to COVID-19. “I was wearing gloves and using hand sanitizer, but I’ve never been big on masks because they made me feel funny,” she said. Now, she won’t leave home without one. “I am paranoid,” she said. “I will have a mask on even if somebody comes to my house. This stuff can kill you.” Today, Rawls remains hard at work to regain more strength and endurance

Under the watchful eye of Amy Macon, right, a physical therapist at Methodist Outpatient Therapy in Flowood, Tansy Rawls works to overcome debilitating weakness following a severe case of COVID-19. Photo: Carey Miller

at Methodist Outpatient Therapy in Flowood. And she’s excited to be making progress. “When I first started, I could only do about 5 minutes,” she said as she pedaled on an exercise bike. “Now I can do 15 minutes.” “She’s doing more reps every time she comes,” said Wes Myers, a physical therapy assistant at Methodist Outpatient Therapy. “She pushes herself pretty hard.” Sometimes, even too hard, said physical therapist Amy Macon. “We have to pull her back a little bit because with multiple sclerosis it’s not a good idea to let her overdo. We have to find a balance of just enough, but not too much.” Villacorta said those that are able to bounce back from COVID-19 are “the most grateful patients.” And Rawls counts herself among the thankful. Now, she can’t imagine why she didn’t want to come to MRC in the first place. “It was the best thing,” she said. “At Methodist, they are so nice and kind to you. And they even have the best food.”

At Methodist Outpatient Therapy in Flowood, Physical Therapy Assistant Wes Myers, left, and Methodist Outpatient Services Director Joe Jacobson, right, are seeing the need for intense rehab therapy for patients like Tansy Rawls. Photo: Carey Miller

SPINAL CORD INJURY PROGRAM At her family farm in Carthage, Kalyn Smith cares for Goliath, the horse that bucked her off, with a little help from Zane, her therapy dog-in-training. Photo: Melanie Thortis

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Country

STRONG

Kalyn Smith’s journey to get back to the farm, back to college and back in the saddle after a life-changing horse riding accident by Carey Miller

fter she broke her spine in a horse riding accident, Kalyn Smith adjusted to her new normal the only way she knew how: by taking the reins. “I remember when she first got here,” said Jacob Long, her physical therapist while at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson. “At the first session, she said ‘I want to do everything I need to do to get as mobile as I can, to get back out there and do the things I want to do.’” For the 22-year-old self-professed country girl that means caring for her prized show cattle and her beloved horses on her family farm near Carthage. When it came time for preparing Smith to do just that, her occupational therapist Stephanie Mimms got creative. “I had seen a movie called ‘Walk, Ride, Rodeo,’” Mimms said. “It was about a barrel racer (Amberley Snyder) who had a spinal cord injury. When I spoke to Kalyn about it, she said she had actually met her a few years back through her involvement with Future Farmers of America.” Smith had served as a state officer for the organization. “I asked if she wanted to ride again, and if she had a saddle that we

could bring to the hospital to work on getting up on it.” Of course, Smith was one step ahead and had already thought about doing just that. “I borrowed the saddle from my best friend, and her brother brought it to me,” Smith said. “He said he got a lot of funny looks carrying it into the hospital. I wanted it so we could work on me transferring into the saddle. That was one of my big goals, getting back on a horse.” Using the saddle was a great way for Smith to work on strengthening. “I worked a lot with Stephanie on balance and being able to reach for things,” Smith said. “Because when I get back on a horse, I’m going to need to be able to open gates, reach down and fix my feet and be prepared for all the different movements a horse makes, like shaking off flies, and going from trotting to running.” Today, Smith attends Mississippi State University, where she is studying mechanical engineering. And at the family farm, Smith has gotten back to taking care of her show cattle. She uses an ATV in place of a horse to round them up, but her goal of getting back in the saddle is within reach. Using her engineering know-how, Smith researched and

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Since she is not ready to ride a horse yet, Kalyn Smith uses an ATV to round up and care for her prized show cattle. Photo: Melanie Thortis

designed a system that will allow her to take her horse from the stables and wheel up onto a platform to transfer into the saddle directly from her wheelchair. All that remains is getting it built—a proposition the long, hot summer delayed. At those very stables Smith still cares for Goliath, the headstrong horse that changed her life forever. Some might get rid of an unruly horse, but not the ever-practical Smith. “You can’t blame a horse for being a horse,” Smith said. It was on July 21, 2019, when Goliath, then a new and asyet-unnamed horse, threw Smith off at an arena in Arlington. Smith was showing a cousin how to barrel race after a morning at church. “I was coming around the third barrel, when he decided to buck me off,” Smith said. “I went about 8 feet in the air, and when I hit the ground, I landed on my right shoulder, and that’s how it broke my spine. From then on I was really out of it.” It took over half an hour for local responders to get to the arena’s remote location with a bus to transport her to the hospital. Luckily, a trauma nurse at the scene recognized the need for Smith to be airlifted. “I told her it felt like I had a rock in my back, and she said we’re not taking you on that bus, we’re getting you a helicopter to take you to the University of Mississippi Medical Center,” Smith said. At UMMC, Smith underwent a surgery to decompress her spine, placing a rod in it at the T4 level, just above the complete fractures she sustained at the T5 and T6 level. After recovery, Smith transferred to MRC to begin her rehab. “I didn’t know anything about Methodist or any hospitals

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at all really,” Smith said. “That was the first time I had ever been in a hospital. If I ever got hurt, which was rare, I just went to a hometown doctor. But I didn’t have a doubt in my mind about going to Methodist because it was close to home. I wanted to be somewhere I could have family visit me every day.” There, Smith began learning to live her life in a wheelchair. “When I first got there, I didn’t even know what a ‘transfer’ was, and I sure couldn’t do them by myself,” Smith said. “I was really scared of falling. Jacob and Stephanie really helped a lot with that.” Long is a certified Seating and Mobilty Specialist (SMS), which makes him specially qualified for making wheelchair and mobility recommendations. “My focus on the front end was getting her fitted for a chair,” said Long. Smith says watching Long perform the ins and outs of wheelchair customization brought out her inner engineer. “He was changing around all these different parts and tweaking stuff,” Smith said. “That really appealed to me.” But it wasn’t all fun for her learning to use a wheelchair. “I hated when Jacob made me do wheelies in the wheelchair,” Smith said. “I was terrified of falling backwards. But I knew it was important to learn to do things like go over a curb. By the time for me to leave the hospital, I was asking him if we could do them.” Mimms says a big part of Smith’s early therapy was preparing her for activities of daily living, known in therapy parlance as ADLs. This includes things like getting dressed, using the restroom and cooking. “She was quite limited at first by range of motion and

“What I found most admirable about Kalyn was she never looked at her wheelchair as something that would stop her from getting where she wanted to be in life.” —Physical therapist Karen Klein

Using a real saddle to simulate riding a horse, Kalyn Smith practices reaching for items with the help of her therapy team. They are, from left, occupational therapist Stephanie Mimms, physical therapy student Eric Hubur and physical therapist Jacob Long. Photo: Carey Miller

Kalyn Smith plans to build a platform that allows her to transfer from her wheelchair to the saddle so she can ride horses again at her family farm in Carthage. Photo: Melanie Thortis

pain,” Mimms said. “And there was a learning curve with her new diagnosis for things like getting ready in the morning and transferring out of bed. But she was always open-minded and willing to try her hardest.” Smith’s open-mindedness was put to the test when Mimms, who is a certified yoga instructor, introduced her to that exercise regimen, which was something unfamiliar to a lifelong country girl. But it didn’t take long for her to latch onto its value for her recovery. “I wasn’t very flexible–I couldn’t hardly ever reach my toes, even before the accident,” Smith said. “But that was important for putting shoes and socks on, so we did a lot of yoga and stretching.” In all, Smith spent 45 days at MRC, preparing her to adjust to home life in a wheelchair. But after a brief stint at home, she was ready to continue her therapy at MRC’s outpatient neurological rehabilitation clinic in Flowood. “When I got there, my transfers had gotten better–I could do them on my own,” Smith said. “So my big thing for outpatient was getting ready for school. My main goal was being able to do everything on my own I needed to do.” At Flowood, Smith worked with occupational therapist Pat Baird, who was struck by Smith’s can-do attitude. “She is an amazing young lady,” Baird said. “I have three P’s I’d use to describe her. She was progressive–she was really always one step ahead of us. If there was an activity we mentioned for her to try and do, she had already developed a plan or how she was going to be independent with it and researching assistive equipment to help. “She was proactive–she didn’t wait for us to finish teaching

her, she would be working on things on her own at home. And she was above all positive. From the get-go, she was completely optimistic yet realistic about her condition and diagnosis. And she was unafraid to share her Christian faith and how it related to her going forward and progressing in life.” Smith also continued strengthening with physical therapist Karen Klein. “I worked with Kalyn on getting her as strong as possible and as independent as possible from her wheelchair,” Klein said. “She wanted to make it on her own at her apartment at school and she didn’t want to have to depend on someone to help her.” Klein worked with Smith using a FES (Functional Electrical Stimulation) cycle. FES cycles use electrical current to stimulate nerves and evoke muscle contractions that allow patients with paralysis or muscle weakness to “pedal” exercise bikes with their arms or legs. She says they also continued to work on Smith perfecting her transfers in and out of the wheelchair “pretty much non-stop.” “What I found most admirable about Kalyn was she never looked at her wheelchair as something that would stop her from getting where she wanted to go in life,” Klein said. With her goal of complete independence, traveling to outpatient therapy put into focus another obstacle for Smith to overcome. “I told them that I wanted to drive,” Smith said. “I got tired of having to ask people to take me places or wait for people to get off work or something to give me a ride. You don’t realize how much freedom driving gives you until it’s taken away.” With that goal in mind, Smith’s therapists recommended she enroll in Methodist’s Quest Program, which is located at

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Clockwise, from top left: 1. Kalyn Smith poses with, at left, her physical therapist Erin Perry and her occupational therapist Allison Harris the day of her Quest graduation in July. 2. At Methodist Outpatient Therapy in Flowood, Smith worked on strengthening with the help of physical therapist Karen Klein. 3. Also at Flowood, Smith worked on balance and coordination by playing the Wii with occupational therapist Pat Baird. 4. And during inpatient, Smith tried out her new wheelchair with, at left, physical therapy student Eric Hubur and physical therapist Jacob Long. Photos: Carey Miller

Methodist Outpatient Therapy in Ridgeland. There, occupational therapist Allison Harris offers a Driver Rehabilitation Program to certify patients to get back behind the wheel after an injury or illness. Quest’s therapists also work closely with patients who wish to return to school to prepare them for any challenges they may encounter. Harris says Smith’s ingenuity helped her immensely with driving rehab and therapy. “She got a lot of it figured out on her own, she was a real go-getter,” Harris said. “It was almost like we were her supporting cast! She’d come in with ideas of what to work on. Before we even started driving, she already knew what kind of vehicle and equipment she wanted. In therapy, we worked a lot on trunk balance and endurance because she wanted to get back in the saddle. We worked with her using a saddle just like she did in inpatient. I’d have to say that was a first for us.” “When she got here, she was doing great with all her transfers,” said physical therapist Erin Perry. “So we worked on getting up and down off the floor, which we simulated with a mat. And she nailed it the first time. We also worked a lot on standing and being able to tolerate an upright position and regulating her blood pressure and heart rate. Of course, she eventually got her own standing frame for home so she could work on it on her own.” But not long after Smith began her therapy at Quest, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “The pandemic messed everything up for a while,” Smith said. “I couldn’t come to therapy for about six weeks. Then I started coming back once a week, before going back to twice a

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week like normal. But then everything in therapy was just like usual–except for having to wear a mask and everything having to get wiped down and sanitized.” As an occupational therapist, Harris usually conducts a site visit of the school patients are to attend to ensure proper accessibility, but that wasn’t possible with social distancing guidelines in place. “While the pandemic hasn’t changed much of what we do in the therapy gym, it has limited what we can do outside of therapy,” Harris said. “We were supposed to do a school visit for her but it got canceled. And at Quest, we regularly did outings–things like going to the store to practice shopping–so it’s limited some of that. As far as Kalyn goes, it hasn’t been a major issue, though.” Smith “graduated” from Quest in July, and she was excited to finally get to go to school in August. It’s been a long time coming. “I was originally supposed to move into my apartment in Starkville the Monday after my accident,” Smith said. Smith is laser-focused on earning her degree, which should be no sweat for her. As she showed time and again during her time at MRC, Smith sees no limit to what the future holds for her. “Whatever it is I end up doing after school, I want it to be hands-on, because that’s what I like,” Smith said. “I know I want to be on a design team. I could see myself going into medical engineering. Because of all I’ve been through, I’ve got a different perspective than other people do.”

WILSON RESEARCH FOUNDATION

MRC researchers, including, from left, neurophysiology technologist Tony Hayes and Administrative Director of Research Dobrivoje Stokic, monitor the leg movements of spinal cord injury survivor Lawerance Williams using the ErigoPro tilt table. Photo: Carey Miller

Healing hands

Fund innovative research with a gift to the Wilson Foundation

he stories on these pages are a glimpse of the miracles that happen here at Methodist Rehab Center. Each year, God works through the healing hands and big hearts of our staff to help thousands overcome disabling obstacles. Most patients return home to resume lives of meaning and purpose. The research program at Methodist

by Chris Blount, Executive Director is a big part of our success, driving innovation and improving treatments. Patients have access to labs with innovative therapy equipment, and our scientists work with patients and their therapists to guide care and recovery. And all research services are free of charge to the patients thanks to your generous support. Your gifts will help Mississippians and others around the world through the

publication of our research discoveries. We will honor your gifts in this publication and on our major investors wall for gifts that total $1,000 or more. Most of all, your gifts are recognized in the faces of the patients whose lives have been transformed with the help of Methodist Rehabilitation Center. “With your help… there are no limits.” —Earl R. Wilson

Please make a donation today at WWW.WILSONFOUNDATION.ORG

Walk&Roll Annual Benefit for The Wilson Research Foundation

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Team Sam: $17,268 Outpatient Olympians: $15,783 Rowdy Rehabbers: $13,355 Team Wilson: $7,905 Rehab Rockstars: $4,925

The 2020 Walk & Roll for Research annual benefit for MRC’s Wilson Research Foundation virtual campaign raised over $105,000. View our 49 sponsors and all fundraising results at www.wilsonfoundation.org

TEAM CAPTAINS & TOP VOLUNTEERS

Shari Allen, Julie Basel, Doug Boone, Linda Clark, Mary Collins, Kelley Walton Fenelon, Keith Ferguson, Suzy Gonzales, Stephanie Holt, Katy Houston, Luly Johnson, Cortney L. Jones, Karen Klein, Bonnie Lahuta, Jacob Long, Valerie Massey, Annice McGuffey, Chris McGuffey, Terri Meadows, Ginny Mounger, Bonnie Perry, Karen Skeen, Kaitlin Ingram Snyder, Tammy Voynik and Lauren Warwick

RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS MRC researchers are denoted in blue type

2019

Bai F, Thompson EA, Vig PJS, Leis AA: Current understanding of West Nile virus clinical manifestations, immune responses, neuroinvasion, and immunotherapeutic implications. Pathogens 2019; 8: 193. Betz R, Biering-SĂ¸rensen F, Burns SP, Donovan W, Graves DE, Guest J, Jones L, Kirshblum S, Krassioukov A, Mulcahey MJ, Schmidt Read M, Rodriguez GM, Rupp R, Schuld C, Tansey K, Walden K: The 2019 revision of the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI)-Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new? Spinal Cord 2019; 57: 815-817. Chow JW, Stokic DS: Gait impairments in patients without lower limb hypertonia early after stroke are related to weakness of paretic knee flexors. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation 2019: 100: 1091-1101. Corbin GN, Weaver K, Dolbow DR, Credeur D, Pattanaik S, Stokic DS: Safety and preliminary efficacy of functional electrical stimulation cycling in an individual with cervical cord injury, autonomic dysreflexia, and a pacemaker: Case report. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine 2019; 1-4. Dolbow DR, Credeur DP, Lemacks JL, Rahimi M, Stokic DS: The effect of electrically induced cycling and nutritional counseling on cardiometabolic health in upper and lower motor neuron chronic spinal cord injury: Dual case report. International Journal of Neurorehabilitation Engineering 2019; 6: 336. Gorman PH, Scott W, VanHiel L, Tansey KE, Sweatman WM, Geigle PR: Comparison of peak oxygen consumption response to aquatic and robotic therapy in individuals with chronic motor incomplete spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled trial. Spinal Cord 2019; 57: 471-481. Hubli M, Kramer JLK, Jutzeler CR, Rosner J, Furlan JC, Tansey KE, Schubert M: Application of electrophysiological measures in spinal cord injury clinical trials: A narrative review. Spinal Cord 2019; 57: 909-923. Kofler M, Leis AA, Valls-Sole J: Cutaneous silent periods - Part 2: Update on pathophysiology and clinical utility. Clinical Neurophysiology 2019; 130: 604-615. Kofler M, Leis AA, Valls-Sole J: Cutaneous

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silent periods - Part 1: Update on physiological mechanisms. Clinical Neurophysiology 2019: 130: 588-603. Krenn M, Chow JW, Perry BE, Tansey KE: Using a robot-assisted gait orthosis to assess lower limb performance in neurorehabilitation. Biomedical Sciences Instrumentation 2019; 55: 51-54. Leis AA, Sinclair DJ: Lazarus effect of high dose corticosteroids in a patient with West Nile virus encephalitis: A coincidence or a clue? Frontiers in Medicine 2019; 6: 81. Lee HJ, White JM, Chung J, Malone P, DeWeerth SP, Tansey KE: Differential cardiovascular responses to cutaneous afferent subtypes in a nociceptive intersegmental spinal reflex. Scientific Reports 2019; 9: 19049. Lee HJ, Malone P, Chung JM, Tansey KE: Central plasticity of cutaneous afferents is associated with nociceptive hyperreflexia after spinal cord injury. Neural Plasticity 2019; 6147878. Patterson F, AbuOmar O, Jones M, Tansey K, Prabhu RK: Data mining the effects of testing conditions and specimen properties on brain biomechanics. International Biomechanics 2019; 6: 34-46. Sharma A, Grill MF, Spritzer S, Leis AA, Anderson M, Vig P, Porter AB: Malignant glial neuronal tumors after West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease: A coincidence or a clue? Neurohospitalist 2019; 9: 160-164. Stokic DS, Kofler M, Stetkarova I, Leis AA: Exteroceptive suppression of voluntary activity in thenar muscles by cutaneous stimulation: How many trials should be averaged? Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery 2019; 184: 105452. Vig PJS, Lu D, Paul AM, Kuwar R, Lopez M, Stokic DS, Leis AA, Garrett MR, Bai F: Differential expression of genes related to innate immune responses in ex vivo spinal cord and cerebellar slice cultures infected with West Nile virus. Brain Sciences 2019; 9: 1.

2020

Burns SP, Tansey KE: The Expedited International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (E-ISNCSCI). Spinal Cord 2020; 58: 633-634.

Chow JW, Stokic DS: Relations between knee and ankle muscle coactivation and temporospatial gait measures in patients without hypertonia early after stroke. Experimental Brain Research 2020 (in print). Chow JW, Yablon SA, Stokic DS: Knee muscle stretch reflex responses after an intrathecal baclofen bolus in neurological patients with moderate-to-severe hypertonia. Neuromodulation 2020; 23: 1018-1028. Dolbow DR, Credeur DP, Lemacks JL, Stokic DS, Pattanaik S, Corbin GN, Courtner AS: Electrically induced cycling and nutritional counseling for counteracting obesity after spinal cord injury: A pilot study. Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine 2020 (in print). Hofstoetter US, Freundl B, Danner SM, Krenn MJ, Mayr W, Binder H, Minassian K: Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation induces temporary attenuation of spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury. Journal of Neurotrauma 2020; 37: 481-493. Howard CL, Wallace C, Perry B, Stokic DS: The utility of the single-subject method for comparison of temporal-spatial gait changes between a microprocessor and non-microprocessor prosthetic knees. Prosthetics & Orthotics International 2020; 44: 133-144. Krenn MJ, Vargas Luna JL, Mayr W, Stokic DS. Bipolar transcutaneous spinal stimulation evokes short-latency reflex responses in human lower limbs alike standard unipolar electrode configuration. Journal of Neurophysiology 2020; 124: 1072-1082. Leis AA, Grill MF, Goodman BP, Sadiq SB, Sinclair DJ, Vig PJS, Bai F: Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha signaling may contribute to chronic West Nile virus post-infectious proinflammatory state. Frontiers in Medicine 2020; 7: 16. Stokic DS: Moving forward the field of combination treatments: shared responsibility of researchers, reviewers, and readers (Editorial). International Journal of Rehabilitation Research 2020; 43: 1-2. Wight JT, Tillman MD, Grover GB, Chow JW, Borsa PA, Wikstrom EA, Larkin-Kaiser K: Pitching shoulder passive flexibility: torque-angle analysis for external rotation and internal rotation. Sports Biomechanics 2020 (in print).

Wilson Research Foundation Honorarium We honor these generous donors to the Wilson Research Foundation. Thank you for helping us restore ability and hope through research, education and technology at Methodist Rehabilitation Center. To make a tax-deductible donation or to learn more about The Wilson Research Foundation, contact us at (601) 364-3598 or email wfgift@wilsonfoundation. org. Make a secure online donation at www.wilsonfoundation.org.

EARL R. AND MARTHA LYLES WILSON VISIONARIES

Mary Ann McCarty Mid State Construction Dick Molpus Foundation $500,000 and Greater Össur BankPlus Melissa Patterson Ergon Foundation, Inc. Jim Phyfer Gertrude C. Ford Foundation Peter Pryor H. F. McCarty, Jr. Family Foundation Sara and Bill Ray Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Donna Else Roberts Leo Seal United Methodist Trust Roberta and Dave Robinson Estate of Maxine and John Tullos Karen Skeen Earl R. and Martha Lyles Wilson Jan and Mike P. Sturdivant, III Linda and Wirt Yerger III The Sturdivant Family Cheryl and Cal Wells Marsha and Terry Wells PILLARS Amy Lyles Wilson $200,000 - $499,999 Sam E. and Bernice C. Wittel Luckyday Foundation Foundation Donna and Art Leis, M.D. William S. Ware Ann and Jorge R. Leis Marion Wofford, M.D. Selby and Richard D. McRae Foundation PARTNERS Nora Frances and Vaughan McRae MRC Gift Shop Volunteers $5,000 - $24,999 Carol H. Allen Estate of Gordon Scarbrough Pattie and Gary Armstrong Dea Dea and Dolph Baker PIONEERS Baptist Health Systems $85,000 - $199,999 Rebecca Greer Barrett and James Ameristar Cares Workplace Giving Biggs, Pettis, Ingram & Solop Anne Andrews Black Charitable Lori and Chris Blount Lead Unitrust Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Barbara and Jeep Clark Mississippi Melissa and Si Bondurant Paula and Randy James Monica and Henry Bradsher Carolyn and John McIntyre, Jr. Jean Turner Brewer Lyn and David McMillin Brunini Attorneys at Law Moran Family Philantropic Fund Maralyn Bullion Virginia Wilson Mounger and J. C.W. Caldwell Harbour Mounger Canizaro Cawthon Davis Architects Pruet Foundation Sally and Charles Carmichael Estate of Lillian Simpson Bottrell Century Club Charities John Chow SUSTAINERS Church of the Holy Trinity Vicksburg $25,000 - $84,999 Kay and Ken Clark Gina and Mark Adams Richard Cowart Linda and Robert Bartley Cups - an espresso café The Bike Crossing Custom Medical Solutions Estate of Carolee Bacon Davis Elizabeth Daniels Else Partners Bettie and Gene Delcomyn Glenda and Keith Ferguson Dorsey J. Barefield Charitable Trust In Memory of Jake Greer Nora and Tam Etheridge Katy and Jamie Houston Fenelon Family HUB International First Commercial Bank Larry Kerr Alan Freeland, MD Leila and Sam Lane Kathy and Don Flynt Madison Charitable Foundation Susan and Nick Greco

Grenfell Sledge & Stevens Handicapable Vans, Inc. Steele and Bob Hardeman Hawe Yeu Incorporated Ann and Henry Holifield Sandra and Matt Holleman Shan and Steve Hope Horne CPA and Business Advisors Robbie Hughes Tish and Haden Hughes International Business Machines Rachel and Joe Jacobson J’s Mobility Unlimited R. Hardy Jones Joseph C. Bancroft Charitable Fund Marcia King Kitty and Ed Kossman Nancy and Don Krecker LogoStoreUSA Betty and Charlie Lott May and Company John R. McCarty Katie Rose McClendon McGlinchey Stafford Foundation James L. McRae Beverly Y. Milam Mississippi Federal Credit Union Marcia and John Mixon MMI Dining Systems Mobility Medical Beverly and Joe Morette National Seating & Mobility Nancy and Ray Neilsen New York Life Jim Palmer Lisa and Lee Paris Rose and Henry Paris Permobil Foundation Michael Reddix, M.D. Julius M. Ridgway, Sr. Judy and E.B. (Bud) Robinson Estate of George H. Robinson Judy and Cy Rosenblatt Katie R. Saliba Kelly Woodfield Sevier and Conrad Sevier, M.D. Skeen Plumbing and Gas Robert Smith, M.D. Southern Bancorp Southern Farm Bureau Life SSS Foundation St. Dominic Health Services Sharon Woodfield Steel Lisa and John Stevens Patti and Jerry Sullivan Thompson Charitable Endowment Fund

Jackie and Faser Triplett, M.D. Trustmark National Bank Thomas A. Turner III Rahul Vohra, M.D. Nell and Ed Wall Alan Walters Jean and John Webb Susan and Walter Weems Elizabeth White Kevin Wilson Wise Carter Child & Caraway Workplace Solutions

FELLOWS (2011-2020) $1,000 - $4,999 A&A Home Health Joanne Allred American Medical Response (AMR) Aretech Atmos Energy Bancorp South Pamela and Fred Banks Family and Friends of Tony Bates Drs. David and Gemma Beckley Charles Berry David and Betty Wilson Blaylock Carrie and Philip Blount, M.D. Crisler and Doug Boone Howard E. Boone Phillip Bowman Richard Brand Broadmoor Mini Storage Charlene Bryant David C. Buck Randa Buster Christine Carmichael James M. Chandler Lin and Ching Chen, M.D. John M. Christian Susan Christensen Cynthia and Wiley Clark James H. Clayton Kimberly Coalter Jan Collins Cook Medical Supply Corporate Benefits John T. “Bones” Cossar C Spire Foundation Betsy S. Creekmore Meredith and James Creekmore Sandy Culver Nina and Bill Dinkins Dulaney Dental Mary Lynn and Bob Dunaway Larry W. and Pamela B Edwards

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Entergy Mississippi Frederick Allen Waits Endowment Rev. Bert Felder Kelley Walton Fenelon Fiser/Steele Class, First Baptist Church Jackson Fleet Feet Sports Charlotte Fitzgerald Allison Fracchia Allen W. Glisson Suzy Gonzales Martha Grace Gray Barbara A. Griffin David Guzman Janet and Randy Hankins, M.D. Lucian A. Harvey, Jr. and Jerri Jeter Harvey Foundation Susie Haseloff Antoinette and John Hawkins Kenneth W. Helton Peggy Hemphill Diane and J. L. Holloway Hometown Healthcare Hometown Medical Charla Howard Anthony Huffman Glynn Hughes Kim and Steven Inzinna LaKeysha Greer Isaac Jackson Metro Cyclists Sue and Robert Jacobs Henry J. Jones Debra Johnson Lona and Bennett J. Johnson Sue and Otis Johnson Kathy Kendrick Kelly Kennedy Ki Mobility Catherine Klipple Kristos Amerigreek Stanley L. Kynard Elizabeth Lampley Sam M. Lane, Jr. John W. Lange Beverly Lawrence Johnette and Billy Lester Juanita Lester Chris Lincoln Rev. Dr. Giles Lindley Sonya and Gene Loper, M.D. Hon. Deniese T. Lott Arretta Lyles Donna Lyon Susan and Larry Marquez Allen Martin Masonite Ann and Woodie McDuffie Jane and Gene McGee Terri McKie Terri Meadows Mid-South Medical Imaging Peggy and Dean Miller Jeffrey D. Miller Sharon and Jim Miller Mississippi Bankruptcy Conference Mississippi Brain and Spine Molpus Woodlands Group

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Mary Ethel and Roger Muns Kerry Nations Neel-Schaffer Olivia and John Neill, MD Open Doors Class, Christ UMC Jackson Origin Bank Ottobock Wheeler Parker William M. Patrick Patty Peck Honda Paul Moak Subaru Piramal Critical Care Sandra and Frank E. Polanski Don Potts James F. Price Primos Café Quantum Rehab C. Mike Quick Caryn and Stephen Quilter Welissa Rader Dorothy and R. Miller Reid Peggy and Robert Rives, M.D. Katie Rives Janis and Stan Roberts Anne W. Rogers Sam’s Club Madison Sanderson Farms Saol Therapeutics Joel Shows Mandy and Tim Shumaker Douglas A. Simpson Ricky Skeen Lottie Smith Specialty Metals Supply Laura and Frank P. Stainback III, M.D. Jacqueline M. Stahlman Dobrivoje Stokic, M.D. Travis J. Taylor Telephone Electronics Corp (TEC) Terry Service, Inc. Suzan and J.H. Thames, Jr. Charitable Fund Anne R. Thompson Hon. Linda A. Thompson Burney F. Threadgill Ancel C. Tipton, MD Helen O. Tolleson Lori Towery Julie and Kent Tullos Pam and Jon Turner Tammy and Eddie Voynik Carolyn and Mark Wakefield Walmart Distribution Center Brookhaven Walmart Clinton Walmart Flowood Walmart Jackson Walmart Ridgeland Robert H. Weaver Wendy’s Whataburger Kathryn Wiener Trish and Kennny Windham Mary and Jesse L. Wofford, M.D. W. G. Yates & Sons Construction

Mary and Wirt A. Yerger, Jr. Camie and Paul Young ZA Construction

FRIENDS

Gifts up to $999 received since the 2020 edition of Ways & Means Peggy and Bill Adams Claudia and Mac Addison Laura Alford Ben Allen III Betty and Bill Allen Pam and David Allen Shirlene Allen Norman Bailey Patricia Baird Balch & Bingham Thomas Barrett Patricia Barnett Linda and Gene Barrett, M.D. Eva Beck Benefit Administrators Larry Bleakney Lucien L. Bourgeois Emily and Glenn Boyce Michael Boyd Glen Breedlove Susan Brennan Broad Street Baking Co. & Café Troy B. Browning Adrienne Brumfield Scott Catington Betty J. Chatham Jeff Christi John B. Clark Linda G. Clark Bridget Clayton Cheryl and Tim Coker Melissa M. Cole Bess and Steven Corbitt Linda G. Clark Catherine and Bill Cox The Cress Group Stacie and Bill Crim Allen Cunningham Isaac Fred Dale Eleanor and Chuck Dauenhauer Martha Davis Quile’ Davis Russell Deane Kelly and Brian Deery Tim Denley Jacqueline and Quinton Dickerson Betsy Ditto Arthur W. Doty Tammy Dyess Marsha and Edwin Eigenbrodt Virginia Ezelle Norman Ellis Clea Evans Mona and Johnny Evans Virginia A. Ezelle Face & Body Center Lanelle and Murray Fincher

Patricia Foster Steve Friend Friends at Trustmark National Bank Keith Frost Carolynn Gaiennie Tammy and Steve Gandy Mae Garrett Dean E. Gerber Dean Gebhart Allen Glisson Joey and Debbie Glorioso Phillip Grady Dugger Green Rev. Dr. Carl Grubbs Robin Gunn David Guzman Emily and Ted Harden Carol and Bob Hardison Martha and Sonny Harpole Susan S. Hart Susan Haseloff Sam Hawthorn Elizabeth Hayes Heart Failure Team at St. Thomas Heart Bobbye and Bill Henley Julie Herrington Audrey Hildebrand Glenda Hills Kermit Holly Sondra Holman Miller P. Holmes, Jr. Lisa Indest John Irby Jeanne and Art Inkster Bobbye Bullock Jackson Walter Jackson L.T. Jenkins Mr. and Mrs. James Peter Jernberg Allison Johnson Lauren Johnson Kenneth Johnson Sue and Otis Johnson Courtney Jones Veronica Jordan Bertha Kendrick Diane Kersh June Kilby Pam Kilby Libby Lampley Lakeland Yard and Garden G.W. Lee Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry Kim and Andre Libroth Hulbert Lipe Tommy Lister Jane W. Lord Angela Lott Elizabeth Lyle Arretta Lyles Madison Fireplace & Patio Mr. and Mrs. Bill Malouf Mrs. Charles Marion Rosemary Maxey Cathy and Dr. George W. May, Jr. Honey and Larry May Meredith May

Ann and John McAllister Patrick McAllister John Land McDavid Jaqueline McDougle Lucy McEuen Evelyn McGee JoAnne McKinney Lillian Louie Mike McRee Jeffrey D. Miller Marcelle Milner Donald Miners Bettye and Ned Mitchell Mary Sue and Don Mitchell Modern Woodmen of America Monday Sewing Group Bill Mounger Roben and Dalton Mounger Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Murphree Betty Murphey Susan Myrick Sally G. Nash John C. Neill, M.D. Lee Nicols, M.D. Mary and Ed Davis Noble, Jr. Cathy Norris The Northside Sun Connie and Tom Norton Mike and Julie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Olde Towne Barre Susan and William Osborne F. Ralph Owens Terry and Fred Page William M. Patrick, Jr. Eddie Peacock Joan M. Pepper Dave H. Perkins Claire and Logan B. Phillips, Jr. Melvinjean and W. L. Phillips, Jr. Suzanne W. Phillips Faye and James Pinnix Neil P. Pipkin, Sr. John L. Prichard K.K. Ramsey Randy Randall Nickey Ray Karen E. Redhead Elizabeth Rich C.R. Ridgway Melonye M. Ridgway Naomi and Bob Ridgway Ruth Ridgway Nathalie Roberts Rochelle Robinson Martha J. Rogers Ross & Yerger Insurance Samâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club Pearl Debbie and Mark Saxon Barbara and Timothy Scheck Joe T. Scott Judy and Pat Seabrook Seekers Class, First Baptist Church Crystal Springs Dianne Sheerer Ray Shenefelt Jan J. Shultz Linda Simmons

Betty Jean Slade Howard and Barbara Smith, M.D. Mary Smith Patsy and Jerry Smith Robert H. Smith William Sneed The Southern Connection Sharon and Leslie Southwick Stalwart Medical Innovations Leon F. Stewart Helene Tann Granville Tate, Jr. Travis J. Taylor Veronica Taylor Sandy and Mac Temple, M.D. Norma S. Tharpe Clifford C. Thompson Family Hazel Thornton Susan and Chip Triplett Buck and Kathy Tumlison Lori Verhage Carolyn and Mark Wakefield Ree Walden Mrs. W.E. Walker Chunyang Wang Dora S. Washington Chris Waterer, M.D. Betti and Walker Watters Tina Weaver Deborah S. Webb Mr. and Mrs. Danny Weatherly Linda and Charles Weatherly Tina Weaver Deborah Webb Lamar Weems, M.D. Mary Ann Welch Caroline Whittington Judi Williams Martha B. Williams Otis J. Williams Ruth Ann and Liles Williams Virginia Williamson Jeanette and Jack Winstead Jan and John Wofford, M.D. John Wooley, M.D. Hunter Worley Elton Flynn Wright Sara Yates Your Pie Qinmei Yu Feng Zhang

HONORARY GIFTS

Dr. Philip Blount Given by Patricia Barnett Adam Booker Given by June Kilby Julie and Andrew Boshwit Given by Kitty Kossman Ginny Boydston Given by Cynthia and Wiley Clark Michell Brown Given by Melvinjean and W. L. Phillips, Jr. Caleb Carr Given by Rev. Dr. Carl Grubbs

Mrs. Mike Chiz Given by Kitty Kossman John Chow Given by Russell Deane Jane and Dr. Culver Craddock Given by Kitty Kossman Stacie and Bill Crim Given by Robert H. Smith Jeanne and Rabbi Harry Danziger Given by Kitty Kossman Anne and Lephiew Dennington Given by Kitty Kossman Rev. Bert Felder Given by Lucien L. Bourgeois Kelley Walton Fenelon Given by Cheryl and Tim Coker Rosemary Maxey Mr. and Mrs. Bill Malouf Marcelle Milner Naomi and Bob Ridgway Sandy and Mac Temple, M.D. Charlotte Fitzgerald Given by Terri McKie Eleanor Garrett Given by Kitty Kossman Martha Grace and Matt Gray Given by Ann and Henry Holifield Minor and Ben Hawkins Given by Kitty Kossman Ann Holifield Given by Amy Lyles Wilson Martha Grace Gray Virginia Wilson Mounger Jennifer and Wilson Holifield Given by Ann and Henry Holifield Katelyn and Lyles Holifield Given by Ann and Henry Holifield Matt Holleman Given by William S. Ware Charles Holmes Given by Kitty Kossman Leone and Henry Jones Given by Jan J. Shultz Beverly Janoush Given by Amy Macib Kitty Kossman Paul Janoush Given by Kitty Kossman Suzi and Barry Kaplan Given by Kitty Kossman Terri Kitchens Given by Rosemary Maxey Jan Klein Given by Kitty Kossman Juliet and Jerry Klein Given by Kitty Kossman Carol Kossman, M.D. Given by Kitty Kossman Kitty Kossman Given by Jane W. Lord Marcia and Chuck Kossman, M.D. Given by Kitty Kossman Nancy and Bill LaForge Given by Kitty Kossman Ben and Walton Lane Given by Carol and Bob Hardison Leila and Sam Lane

Given by Karen E. Redhead Pam and Jon Turner Samuel Lane Given by Lanelle and Murray Fincher Juanita Lester Given by Terri McKie Jacob Long Given by Sharon and Jim Miller Jane Lord Given by Kitty Kossman Amy Macon Given by Nathalie Roberts Dr. Mark Meeks Given by Randy Randall MRC Case Managers Given by Dianne Kersh MRC Gift Shop Volunteers (Larry Bleakney, Sam Cole, Becky Pugh, Tonda Riley and Jennifer Truesdale) Given by Terri McKie MRC Therapists (Jennifer Nicholson, Joe Moss, Taylor Hankins and Susan Mitchell) Given by G.W. Lee, Jr. Peggy Prenshaw Miller Given by Jeffrey D. Miller Slater Milner Given by Travis J. Taylor Stephanie Mimms Given by Sharon and Jim Miller Bettye and Ned Mitchell Given by Kitty Kossman Rev. Dr. Julia Moore Given by Kitty Kossman Virginia Wilson Mounger Given by Ann and Henry Holifield Hon. Deneise T. Lott Bill Mounger Roben and Dalton Mounger Hon. Linda A. Thompson Amy Lyles Wilson Hilda and Kirkham Povall Given by Kitty Kossman Lydia Quarles Given by Hon. Deneise T. Lott Dr. Robert Ragan Given by Kitty Kossman Patty and Mike Robbins Given by Kitty Kossman James Robinson Given by Kitty Kossman Sally Rogers Given by Kitty Kossman Nan and Mike Sanders Given by Kitty Kossman Ann Myers Schimmel, M.D. Given by Virginia Ezelle Susan S. Hart Audrey Hildebrand Elizabeth Lyle Sally G. Nash Karen E. Redhead Russell Shefield Given by Judi Williams Shug and Doe Signa

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DEAN M. MILLER, 1926-2019 MRC mourns the passing of Dean M. Miller, one of the original forces in creating MRC in 1969. Dean served 50 years as a MRC trustee, including serving as secretary, vice chairman and chairman of the board as well as chairing numerous committees. Dean helped oversee planning and construction of the original hospital, Methodist Specialty Care Center, and three independentliving apartment complexes for persons with disabilities, including Miller Park in Meridian, named in his honor. Dean also was the longest-serving governor of MRC’s Wilson Research Foundation. Dean was honored as a Life Member of both the MRC and Wilson Foundation boards.

Given by Kitty Kossman Karen Skeen Given by Elton Flynn Wright Joyce and Homer Sledge, Jr. Given by Kitty Kossman Susan and Homer Sledge III Given by Kitty Kossman Robert H. Smith Given by Stacie and Bill Crim Esther Solomon Given by Kitty Kossman Ann and Dr. James Steen Given by Kitty Kossman Bettye Y. Sullivan Given by Bettye and Ned Mitchell Blanche and Jon Tyson, M.D. Given by Kitty Kossman Becky Waterer, M.D. Given by Chris Waterer, M.D. Ethel and Dr. Ricky Wayne Given by Kitty Kossman Shannon Weatherly Given by Mr. and Mrs. Danny Weatherly Cal Wells Given by William Sneed Hunter Worley Wilma and Bob Wilbanks Given by Kitty Kossman Amy Lyles Wilson Given by Ann and Henry Holifield Virginia Wilson Mounger Cindy Wilson Given by Hon. Deneise T. Lott Stacy and Kevin Wolff Given by Kitty Kossman Janice and Dr. Kent Wyatt Given by Kitty Kossman Iris and Marvin Wynne Given by Kitty Kossman

MEMORIAL GIFTS

David and Wade Adams Given by Peggy and Bill Adams Terrell Addison Given by K.K. Ramsey Helen Kelly Arnold Given by Pam Kilby Marilyn and Henry Blount Given by Chris Blount Henry Donald Brock Given by Laura and Frank

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Stainback III, M.D. Margaret Lee Buchanan Given by Robert Murphree Mary and Matt Buckley Given by Michael J. Boyd Christine Burkett Given by Seekers Class, First Baptist Church Crystal Springs F.E. “Butch” Chamberlain Given by Atmos Energy Tim Denley Heart Failure Team at St Thomas Heart Nancy and Don Krecker Terry and Fred Page Linda Simmons W.C. Cannon Given by Pam Kilby John D. Ford Given by Terri Meadows Smylie Gebhart Given by Dean Gebhart Dave H. Perkins Elise Glisson Given by Allen Glisson Jake Greer Given by Rebecca Greer Barrett Thomas Barrett Janet and Randy Hankins, MD Ellistine P. Holly Given by Kermit Holly Vicki Holmes Given by Miller P. Holmes, Jr. Anne Hooker Given by Mary and Ed Davis Noble, Jr. Richard Hunter Given by Martha B. Williams Myrtle Irby Given by Pam Kilby Evelyn James Given by Julie and Kent Tullos Mary Kendrick Given by Mary Ann Welch Ed Kossman Given by Kitty Kossman F. Ralph Owens Martha Hardy Lott Given by Melissa M. Cole Dugger Green Ann and John McAllister Bennie Lyles, Jr. Given by Arretta Lyles

Amy N. Mather Given by Susan Brennan Dean Miller Given by Gina and Mark Adams Pamela and Fred Banks Lori and Chris Blount Linda and Gene Barrett, M.D. John B. Clark Catherine and Bill Cox Arthur W. Doty Rev. Bert Felder Friends at Trustmark National Bank Carolynn Gaiennie Paula and Randy James Sue and Otis Johnson Bobbye and Bill Henley Leila and Sam Lane Juanita Lester The Luckyday Foundation Evelyn McGee Nora Frances and Vaughan McRae Jeffery D. Miller Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Murphree Claire and Logan B. Phillips, Jr. C. Mike Quick Mr. and Mrs. Julius M. Ridgway, Sr. Melonye M. Ridgway Barbara and Timothy Scheck Robert and Barbara Smith, M.D. Betti and Walker Watters Walter Weems Lamar Weems, M.D. Cheryl and Cal Wells Jan and John Wofford, M.D. Mary and Wirt Yerger, Jr. Richard E. Moss Given by Laura and Frank Stainback III, M.D. Harbour Mounger Given by Olivia and John C. Neill, M.D. J.T. Noblin Given by Sondra Holman Spencer O’Brien Given by Julie and Mike O’Brien Open Door Class, Christ UMC Bess Patrick Given by William M. Patrick, Jr. Marcia M. Player Given by Pam Kilby Michael Bryan Rives Given by Betty and Bill Allen Pam and David Allen

Norman Bailey Glen Breedlove The Cress Group Jacqueline and Quinton Dickerson Marsha and Edwin Eigenbrodt Patricia Foster Tammy and Steve Gandy Mae Garrett Martha and Sonny Harpole Julie Herrington Bobbye Bullock Jackson Kim and Andre Libroth Mrs. Charles Marion Honey and Larry May JoAnne McKinney Modern Woodmen of America Monday Sewing Group Mary Sue and Don Mitchell Lee Nicols, M.D. Connie and Tom Norton Suzanne W. Phillips Caryn and Stephen Quilter Judy and Pat Seabrook Dianne Shearer Clifford C. Thompson Family Susan and Chip Triplett Buck and Kathy Tumlison Jeanne Taylor Given by Travis J. Taylor Patsy Thompson Given by Marcelle Milner Helen Chao Whittington Given by Caroline Whittington Earl R. Wilson Given by David and Betty Wilson Blaylock John W. Lange Martha and Earl R. Wilson Given by Lyn and David McMillin Sara and Bill Ray Sylvia and Sonny Steel Hazel Thornton Jerry Nalty Wilson Given by Si Bondurant Prentiss, Raymond and Gayle Wilson Given by David and Betty Wilson Blaylock Robert K. “Bob” Wilson Given by David and Betty Wilson Blaylock William M. Yeager Given by Granville Tate, Jr.

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Now I can...

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“You do what you have to do.” That’s the attitude J. Carmen Arevalo took when he was told his leg needed to be amputated after it was crushed in an on-the-job accident. And it’s the mantra he adhered to as he learned to walk again with an above-the-knee prosthesis from Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics. And one he repeated as he continued to amaze his caregivers at Methodist Outpatient Therapy. “I’ve seen very few people at any age with his type of injury do what he can do,” said his physical therapist Karen Klein. At 60, Arevalo is thankful he can remain independent and continue to do household chores like yard work. And he says it’s thanks to the people at MRC. “Everyone is so nice and good at their jobs,” he said. “They do everything they have to do to make you better.” Nationally recognized for expertise in rehabilitation medicine after a stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury or amputation.

For more information, visit methodistonline.org or call 601-981-2611 or toll-free 1-800-223-6672.

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