Kylie Justice didn’t even know she had COVID-19. At the time, Kylie was a 32-year-old single, working mom with two kids, ages 4 and 7. She had no symptoms until she woke up one morning, unable to feel her body from the neck down.
Kylie was paralyzed.
At the hospital, doctors diagnosed Kylie with a rare condition called post-COVID neuropathy. The diagnosis blindsided Kylie and left her unsure of what to do or where to turn.
Fortunately, inpatient rehabilitation provided Kylie an opportunity to regain the function and independence that COVID had stolen from her. She was accepted to Rehabilitation Hospital of Northwest Ohio in Toledo.
When Kylie discharged from the acute care hospital, RHNO’s transport driver, Scott, was there to pick her up. “He was so nice and friendly,” Kylie recalled. “He chatted with me the whole trip.” This encounter kicked off a very positive experience, particularly in contrast to Kylie’s challenges.
“I was blown away by my experience,” Kylie said of her time at the inpatient rehabilitation hospital.
“The building was so beautiful; the private rooms with your own bathroom and the wonderful therapy area were so nice. The therapy team was amazing! My short-term memory was not functioning, and the therapists wrote everything down, which meant so much.”
Kylie also wanted to particularly call out several employees at RHNO that impacted her stay.
“Karen helped me with so many life skills and took care of me in such a kind manner. She braided my hair and taught me how to shower and dress, which was so hard to accomplish at the time. Adam and Dave were so great and encouraged me and pushed me to do things I was afraid to do. Pretty soon, I was standing and taking steps on the parallel bars and working with my hands to move pegs and pull on my clothes.”
“The staff was wonderful,” she continued. “Everyone….all the aides, RNs, therapists…everyone! They were all so kind to me! Plus, the food was so good! I loved that!”
Upon completing her stay, Kylie received an acknowledgment of her hard work and achievement, as does every patient at RHNO. “On the last day, they did a celebration clap, and I cried like a baby. I didn’t want to leave!”
That hard work paid off for Kylie. “Today, I am walking with just cane assistance. I am working, driving, and, most importantly, taking care of my kids and being a mom! I would never want this to happen again, but if I had to choose a therapy place again, I would choose Rehabilitation Hospital of Northwest Ohio! Thank you so much!”
