Now I Can

Faith Martin was 44 years old and teaching six fitness classes a week when she had two strokes linked to a bout of sepsis.

“I’d never been sick and out of nowhere it happened,” she said. “They didn’t think I was going to make it.”

Martin survived, but it took two years before she felt like herself again. For much of that time, she relied on Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s... Read More

Sgt. Scott Lawrence of the Byram Police dutifully served his community for over 25 years. But after suffering an anoxic brain injury during a surgery to fix an on-the-job neck injury, he was told he would never be a police officer again.

With the help of inpatient therapy at Methodist Rehabilitation Center and a year of intensive therapy with MRC’s Quest Program, Lawrence defied all... Read More

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... Read More

Whether he’s running for Junior ROTC, racing with his mountain bike team or teeing up a golf ball, 14-year-old Cris Hairston stays active. So imagine his dismay when he broke his left femur in a February sledding accident.

Lucky for him, his dad, Kyle, works at Methodist Rehabilitation Center, which has the seasoned staff and advanced technology to get athletes back in the game.

... Read More

“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... Read More

After having a stroke that almost completely paralyzed her left side, history teacher Claire Spencer was determined to get back to the classroom.

She underwent extensive therapy at Methodist Rehabilitation Center that helped her get her strength back.

“I love the people there, it was a great place to be,” she said.

Then she enrolled in MRC’s Quest Program, a comprehensive... Read More

Tyler Wheeler walks with the confident posture of a man proud to wear a law enforcement uniform.

But when he arrived at Methodist Rehabilitation Center, the senior agent for Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries could barely stand. He’d been shot four times in the line of duty and still had a bullet in his brain.

Still, he exited MRC after a mere 10 days with the hospital’s brain... Read More

After an ATV accident led to an above-the-knee amputation of his left leg at age 17, Chandler Norman was determined to walk again.

“I had to go through a lot of healing, but I knew I would do whatever I had to do to walk again with a prosthetic leg,” he said.

And he did just that with the help of physical therapy at Methodist Outpatient Therapy and the expertise of Methodist... Read More

When he got married in 2012, Sancho Johnson realized there wasn’t a lot of options for family entertainment in the metro area.

That’s when the former Coast Guard lieutenant saw an opportunity and opened Playtime, an arcade/restaurant in Clinton.

Johnson had struggled with self-reliance and independence, after his military career came to a end when he was injured on vacation... Read More

After suffering a traumatic brain injury in a fall, Devie Freeman fought for his life for two months in the hospital, 19 days of which he spent in an induced coma on a breathing machine.

After moving to inpatient therapy at Methodist Rehabilitation Center, Freeman was determined to return to his job with the Meridian Police Department as liason officer for the Meridian Housing Authority... Read More

In 2015, Nancy Smith had to undergo a complete hip disarticulation to save her life. It’s an amputation of the entire leg through the hip joint, one of the rarest.

When she came to Methodist Rehabilitation Center for rehab after the surgery, she was surprised to find there was hope for her to walk again.

Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics prosthetist Taylor Hankins had helped... Read More

Sam Watkins III worried he’d be paralyzed for life after a rare heart condition led to a stroke.

“I was so depressed, I didn’t know what to expect,” said the Jackson barber and owner of Exquisite Hair Design.

But with encouragement from his family and the stroke program experts at Methodist Rehab, Sam threw himself into therapy and got back on his feet. Now, he’s using his close... Read More

At age 17, Stevelyn Robinson of Winona, Miss., was paralyzed from the neck down in a school bus crash.

And just like the late Chucky Mullins—who became a quadriplegic as an Ole Miss football player— Robinson’s motto is: Never quit!

He persevered through almost six years of therapy with Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s spinal cord injury team. And now he’s at Mullins’ alma mater... Read More

Happiness is a hefty stack of sprinkle-laden donuts.

Take it from Taylor Brown, who has known the sorrow of a severely limited diet since she was a baby.

After an infection damaged the bones and joints in her jaw, Taylor got meals through a feeding tube and learned to talk through clenched teeth.

A series of surgeries at the University of Mississippi Medical Center put her... Read More

After having a stroke, Karlos Taylor wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to teach again.

He was having difficulty speaking, and his right hand was weak, both tools he needed as a graphic design instructor at Mississippi College.

Between inpatient and outpatient therapy at Methodist Rehabilitation Center, Taylor regained his gift of gab and his artistic touch.

“I feel like... Read More

After suffering a stroke, Carol Gaddis of Jackson could only twitch an eyebrow and wiggle a couple of fingers on her paralyzed right side.

But thanks to the good Lord and the good care at Methodist Rehabilitation Center, she’s back doing all the activities she loves—hunting, fishing, sewing, crocheting and making and selling soap.

“They kept working with me, and now I can do... Read More

After a paralyzing car wreck, Nikosha Anderson worked hard to get her life back on track. She juggled rehab, going back to college and caring for her son R.J.

And like many wheelchair users, she faced the daily challenge of finding transportation. So Nikosha enrolled in Methodist Rehab’s DriverRehabilitation Program to learn how to drive a vehicle modified with hand controls.

Her... Read More

A paralyzing car crash at the age of 17 may have ended Drew Thomas’ high school career, but he wasn’t about to let it put a stop to his education. The now 22 year old resides at Methodist Specialty Care Center in Flowood, Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s long-term care facility for the severely disabled.

MSCC is devoted to helping its residents achieve to the best of their abilities.... Read More

 With seven children and 14 grandchildren, Dr. Ray and Judy Lyle hoped to spend a lot more time with family after retirement.

But struggles with pain threatened to make the Ridgeland couple’s retirement a sedentary one.

“We adore our grandchildren,” Judy said. “I couldn’t get on the floor to play with them. Pain from my back caused so many other pains, any time I tried to do... Read More

Think of Katie Breland as the paralyzed bride who refused a ride to the altar.

“I wanted my wedding to be how I always thought it would be and a wheelchair wasn’t part of the plan,” said the physical therapy assistant and personal trainer from Bogalusa, La. “I told everybody I wouldn’t get married until I could walk down the aisle. So I started working on it and practicing.”

The... Read More

When severe dizziness threatened her go-getter lifestyle, 83-year-old Odessa Whitehead of Ridgeland thought: “I can’t live the rest of my life like this.” 

She had great-grandkids to babysit, a yard to keep and plenty of plans to “get out and do.”

So she’s grateful that her doctor recommended a balance disorder specialist at Methodist Outpatient Rehabilitation in Flowood. 

After falling six stories from the roof of her New York apartment building, Nicole Marquez woke up in the hospital on a ventilator with crushed vertebrae and other injuries. In her mind, she knew that she had worked hard for many years to reach the level of a dancer on Broadway.

“At that point, I knew what I had to do. I had to start all over again, and I was prepared to do just that,”... Read More

A TV talk show host suffers a near-fatal stroke and is suddenly at a loss for words. Doctors diagnose aphasia, a disorder that can leave victims struggling to speak, read or write.
 
The scenario sounds like a scripted cliffhanger, but it was actually drama in real life for Raymond Wong, former co-host for WABG’s “Good Morning Mississippi.”
 
After working with the... Read More

Hattiesburg pediatrician John Gaudet likes to get up close and personal with his young patients. So when muscular dystrophy began to hamper his hands-on style, he came to Methodist Rehab’s Seating and Wheeled Mobility Clinic for guidance.

Clinic staff looked at Dr. Gaudet’s health and lifestyle needs, and custom-fit the active physician with a standing power wheelchair. Now he can rise... Read More

Gerry Cain sees her golden years as a time for grand adventures – like a starring role in “Hats, The Musical!”
 
So when a painful shoulder threatened her active lifestyle, the Ridgeland retiree turned to Methodist Outpatient Rehabilitation for help. Now she’s pain-free and ready for the show to go on.
 
“I focused on therapy, so I could focus on life – and fun!” she... Read More

It was the scariest Halloween ever for registered nurse Hollie Harvey. While on a family hayride, Hollie fell under the wheels of a wagon and broke her back.

Surgeons predicted she would never walk again. But staff at Methodist Rehab said: “Let’s see what you can do.” And with their support and guidance, the Mendenhall mother of three gave it her all and got back on her feet.

“... Read More

After a football injury left him a quadriplegic at age 16, Robert Cassidy of Ruleville could have given up. But staff at Methodist Rehab showed him that his goals were still within reach. And therapy helped him gain the tools for a successful return to the classroom.
 
“They have a lot of positive people who motivate you to keep going regardless of the situation,” he says. “... Read More

Ruby Nunnery has spent 28 happy years as unit secretary for St. Dominic Behavioral Health in Jackson.

So when a stroke threatened her reign as everyone’s favorite Girl Friday, Nunnery was heartbroken – until Methodist Rehab’s Quest program came to the rescue.

At the outpatient program for brain injury survivors, Nunnery got the support she needed to return to the job she loves.... Read More

“If I could walk, I would be flat out the door.”

When Chris Gill wrote the lyrics for “Hospital Blues,” he feared his music career might be over. An 18-wheeler had crashed into his SUV, leaving Chris with a severe brain injury and broken bones from head to toe.

But therapy at Methodist Rehab Center helped Chris get back to playing his signature “island blues.” And now he sings... Read More

After his lower left leg was amputated, Kenny Buford of Crystal Springs expected a life full of limitations.

Then the Navy veteran met Brad Kennedy, a Methodist Orthotics & Prosthetics staffer who once bicycled across Europe to showcase the capabilities of his high-tech artificial leg.

“He’s an above-the-knee amputee, and he really inspired me,” says Kenny. “He made me... Read More

Delivering medicine to Methodist Rehab’s stroke unit used to be mere routine for pharmacy technician Linda Adcock of Ridgeland.

Now the journey feels akin to a victory lap. After a 2003 stroke, Linda worried she might never work again. “I was in a wheelchair, and I couldn’t even touch my index finger to my thumb,” she says.

Fortunately, Linda’s family knew her workplace was home... Read More

Beverly Coleman of Brandon awoke to a strange new reality in June 2008.

After a collision with a dump truck bruised her brain and battered her body, the nurse at Hospice Ministries Inc. was the one needing constant care. "That was the hardest challenge," she said. "I don't like being a patient. I like helping people."

It's a calling shared by the staff at Methodist Rehab's... Read More

Indianola native Dean Whitehead, a bilateral amputee, had been using a standard wheelchair since the 1970s. But the nature of his injuries caused him to lean to the left, resulting in many postural problems that affected his functional use of a such a chair.

When he came to Methodist Rehab’s Seating and Wheeled Mobility Clinic for an evaluation, physical therapist Allison Fracchia knew... Read More

It’s no surprise that Bill Meador of Hickory suffered a stroke while in a shooting house. Hunting and fishing are his favorite activities, so his therapy at Methodist Rehab focused on getting him back outdoors.

After staff taught him how to compensate for his paralyzed left side, the retired engineer devised ingenious ways to make his 120-acre farm more accessible. Now, he encourages... Read More

Lawerance Williams of Jackson knows the challenges of adjusting to life after a spinal cord injury. While a senior at Murrah High School, he damaged his spinal cord during football practice. While a patient at Methodist Rehab, Lawerance learned how to live a full and active life as a wheelchair user.
 
Today, Lawerance provides peer support at Methodist Rehab as part of his... Read More

“My work is my life,” says psychologist Dr. Gladys Dinkins Johnson, who heads Jackson’s Wellington Institute. Adults and children in crisis turn to her for help with issues like grief, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and post traumatic stress disorder.

After suffering a stroke that impaired her ability to walk, talk and write, Dr. Johnson found her own life and career in crisis. So... Read More

Brain tumor surgery left Dr. Ricky Gray with speech and memory problems, and the Flowood Baptist Church pastor feared he might never preach again.

But after extensive therapy at Methodist Rehab, Gray returned to the pulpit just two months later. Now, he’s on a mission to give others hope for a full recovery.

“An old saying goes, ‘There’s always hope for help so long as there is... Read More

After a car accident put her in a wheelchair, Sonia Fogal thought her athletic days were over. Then came an invitation to try the wheelchair fencing program at Methodist Rehab.

“I immediately liked it because of the close contact and the speed of it,” Fogal said. “I’m an adrenaline junkie!”

Now a frequent gold medal winner in national competition, Fogal has her sights set on the... Read More

Will Lamkin played both football and baseball in college before a 2008 auto accident left him a quadriplegic.

At the time, he had no idea his injury would lead him to a sport that would rival his collegiate pastimes as his favorite.

“When I started quad rugby, I didn’t even know it existed,” Lamkin said.

Lamkin now fuels his competitive spirit as a member of Methodist... Read More