Wendell Latham on Faith, Family & Determination

When Wendell arrived at the hospital he was frightened but more upset he was missing election night returns. After one session of dialysis, the doctors at VCU Health were concerned that he would need acute care for the rest of his life. Wendell explains, “I made a decision that night that I was going to fight through this and go home to my family.” His journey is inspiring and a tribute to the excellent professional staff who helped him recover.

The Latham family has an indomitable spirit. Wendell grew up on his grandparent’s farm learning the value of hard work and discipline as a young man. He and his wife, Camilla, rode the school bus together when he was a senior and she was a freshman. Wendell was the first in his family to go to college, a proud alum of Virginia Tech. He subsequently enjoyed a successful career as a teacher, middle and high school principal, adult education director, director of business partnerships, and director of vocational education in Caroline and Stafford Counties as well as numerous leadership roles in technical education. Wendell and Camilla have three children and eight grandchildren and recently celebrated their fifty-seventh wedding anniversary.

Wendell arrived at SAI with multiple diagnoses. Camilla explains, “Wendell had four stents put in his heart in a complicated three-hour surgery at VCU Health. Several days later he reacted negatively to the contrast dye and was admitted once again to VCU Health with stage five kidney failure. He was extremely ill, and we almost lost him.” Wendell was weakened by these medical issues, so his wife, children, and their spouses took turns helping him get better. She adds, “I don’t think there is a Latham alive that doesn’t have determination of at least one hundred and twenty percent and that goes for our whole family. We are grateful.”

Their daughter, Wendy, put an extensive amount of time and effort selecting SAI for her father. She did her homework, talking to trusted friends, the caseworker at VCU Health and various other resources. Selecting the right facility for a father determined to regain his independence was paramount. Wendell wanted to get into a program that would allow him to do both physical and occupational therapies to achieve the best outcome. Wendy says, “I knew SAI was phenomenal- a world class rehabilitation center. Since Dad had multiple diagnoses, I knew this facility was our best option in every category based on my research. We knew it would be good for him.”

Physical therapy with Daniel Roquemore was a game changer, says Wendell, who fondly referred to him as ‘Dan the Man’ or ‘Dan the Mean,’ when they started working together. Wendell arrived at SAI unable to walk or do things for himself. One of his biggest challenges was to keep his arms folded and stand up. “He pushed me to work harder and get where I needed to be.”

Caitlyn Anzalone, occupational therapist, says, “Wendell was very motivated and willing to try anything I wanted him to do.” She successfully taught Wendell short cuts and tricks to help him become independent again. Caitlyn explains, “We set him up for success, especially when he met a challenge; we then created another one in order to push him to do things on his own.” For example,