East Laburnum Renovation The Power of Community Giving

7New cutting­edge machines

C-Mill

Andago

FES Cycle

DIEGO

SMART Glove

SMART Peg Board BITS

“This renovation far exceeded our expectations. It is much brighter, more patient-centric and open. We have fifty to sixty visits per day which shows the need for a multidisciplinary clinic.”

Nick Hopson, Clinic Manager

Sheltering Arm’s East Laburnum clinic was recently renovated, and it transformed the clinic into a bright modern space with state-of-the-art equipment.

This refurbishment became a reality thanks to the generosity of donors to the Annual Fund. Donors including former patients and families, community members, board members and team members.

Construction began in May 2022, adding two thousand square feet to the facility. Renovations included new flooring, LED lights, and equipment mirroring the look and feel of Sheltering Arms Institute hospital’s main therapy gym.

Foundation President, John Lee McElroy (Mac) is thrilled with the expansion. “For one hundred thirtyfour years, Sheltering Arms has been meeting the needs of our community and those needs have evolved significantly. Over the last year, we’ve redoubled our effort to better serve vulnerable communities in our city.”

Thanks to this successful renovation, patients like Darryl Athy have already achieved outstanding results. In July, Darryl had a stroke and spent ten days in the hospital; he could not talk and needed assistance walking when he began outpatient treatment. His wife, Vernette, drove him to therapy starting on August 19 soon after the new East Laburnum clinic reopened. She says, “All of the therapists motivated him to get better.”

As a truck driver, Darryl was accustomed to working six days per week. Married twenty-two years, Vernette praises her husband’s work ethic and sense of family. “When Darryl wasn’t on the job, he went to Goochland to check on his mother. He was always going strong.” Vernette recalls, “In the beginning of treatment, he did three sessions per day, twice a week to recover.”

Physical therapist Morgan Largen helped Darryl regain his ability to walk unassisted by using cutting edge equipment. For example, the C­Mill is a treadmill that offers body weight support while retraining a patient’s body and mind through virtual reality. Morgan says, “He was such a delight to work with. Physical therapy focused on high level strength, endurance, and gait training, so we used the C-Mill to challenge his dual task gait (having to think while he was walking) and dynamic gait (stepping over and around obstacles), while increasing his speed and decreasing his support (no hands)!”

“In Mr. Athy’s case, it was getting back to work as a truck driver, so we reviewed what he would physically need to do his job.”

Occupational therapist Katherine Keesee used equipment such as the DIEGO and the SMART Glove, which helps upper body dexterity.

Since the hand is usually the last of the upper extremities to regain function after a stroke, using the SMART Glove generates positive feedback from most patients, including Mr. Athy, who is excited to see his hand working.

Leah Short, PT used a program on the C­Mill called Mystic Garden. Daryl learned to establish a walking pattern in a virtual reality garden which had a series of obstacles, like appearing snakes, of which he had to shift his body to avoid them. The activity kept him from focusing on the pain of the movement.

“The DIEGO is a bilateral upper extremity neuro re-education technology that provides off-loading weight assistance for a patient’s affected upper extremity.”

Mac shares, “The technology and equipment are useless unless it is in the hands of well-trained clinicians who are compassionate and dedicated to patients and their outcomes.”

Mac adds, “The East Laburnum facility offers multi-disciplinary care. For example, a stroke patient like Darryl Athy can receive physical, occupational, and speech therapy on the same day. He doesn’t have to go to three separate places anymore. This is hugely important for the recovery and convenience of our patients.”

Thanks to speech therapy, Darryl can communicate better. He points out, “They pushed me with the work. I was doing exercises at the house. All the exercises helped.” Vernette is delighted with her husband’s progress. Darryl can now walk unassisted. “Sheltering Arms was an excellent support system for us. Without the clinic, Darryl would have been depressed. The people there went the extra mile to get him stronger.”

To learn more about how annual giving supports our continuum of care contact Mac McElroy, jmcelroy@shelteringarms.com or (804) 342­4322