Jerry Garrett, retired navy pilot, admits he’s faced tough situations in life. However, even he was not prepared for the accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
When Jerry came to Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital, one of his goals was to walk again, something he thought would be impossible. But with a staff willing to go above and beyond to help patients reach their goals, the impossible become reality.
Howard Weiss, D.O., a Brooks physiatrist, thought Jerry could benefit from a microcomputer-controlled device called the Parastep System. The device uses an electrical current to stimulate leg muscles, making it possible for the patient to stand and move his or her legs. A walker is also used for balance.
Dr. Weiss made arrangements to get the equipment and have Brooks therapists trained. Kerry Cronin, Brooks outpatient physical therapist, emphasizes how important it was for Jerry's doctors and therapists to work as a team. “I conferred with his inpatient therapists a lot,” she says. “I also called the president of the company that makes Parastep. We all worked together to figure out what was best for Jerry.”
After leaving Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital, Jerry continued his therapy at a Brooks outpatient center. Since then, Jerry has come a long way. “Jerry can now walk 40 feet. He does his laundry, lives by himself and cooks,” says Kerry. “Jerry loves to cook.”
“I taught Emeril everything he knows,” smiles Jerry. “Next on my list is flying an airplane again with hand controls.”