A Patient’s Perspective

Here’s wishing everyone connected with Helen Hayes Hospital a happy holiday season. For the last year and a half, I have relied on the staff at Helen Hayes to help me recover from something called transverse myelitis, or TM as it is known. TM affects the spinal cord and disrupts the signal between your brain and other areas of your body. For me, it caused paralysis to my legs and loss of sensation from my chest down.

From the moment I entered Helen Hayes there was no doubt in my mind this was the right place to be-for not just my body, but my mind and soul as well. What’s unique about Helen Hayes is the single minded determination of every member of the staff to make you feel welcome and to make you feel that getting better is very important to them. Unfortunately, that is not always the case as I found out during my initial rehab at another facility.

First and foremost, the attitude of the people you interact with while being treated makes all the difference as to how effective your recovery will be. The level of positive energy at Helen Hayes is unparalleled. In addition, Helen Hayes Hospital provides a wide range of treatments as well as offering many follow-up services. So once you finish inpatient rehab, you can continue with outpatient therapy and also take advantage of specialty programs such as aquatic therapy, adapted driving or the wellness center.

So, if you or anyone you care about needs a place that provides state-of-the-art rehabilitation, Helen Hayes is where you want to be. It’s a facility you can rely on to not just treat your physical needs, but the whole person, and that is something rare to find. I know your experience here will be as positive as mine.

-Greg Ehrlich

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