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Jake

Jake Charts a New Course After Brain Injury Through Adaptive Sailing

Altogether, Jake led a busy lifestyle and had a promising career ahead of him while living with Type 1 diabetes, until his health journey took a serious turn at age 27.

Patient Story

Justin

Justin’s Story: Finding Answers & Hope After FMD Diagnosis

Patient Story

Jared

Jared’s Athletic Return: Propelling Forward After Limb Loss

Jared B. was 19 years old when his left leg was amputated as a result of a rare type of bone cancer. After a below-knee amputation, Jared came to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for outpatient physical therapy.

Patient Story

Michelle

‘I Am Determined’: Tenacity Defines Michelle’s Journey After Brain Surgeries & Aphasia

Patient Story

Kellan

Kellan’s Story: Teenage Tennis Player Rallies Back After Stroke

Kellan went in for a typical teenage rite of passage — a routine wisdom tooth extraction — he experienced a serious hemorrhagic stroke during the procedure.

Patient Story

Cecil

Meet Cecil: CBS Chicago Features Patient Navigating ALS Head-On

CBS Chicago recently featured Shirley Ryan AbilityLab patient Cecil P. for a segment about how he is navigating ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control the ability to move, walk and talk.

Patient Story

Jose

Meet Jose: Living With Aphasia, Healing Through Conversation

Conversation groups, provided by the hospital’s Center for Aphasia Research & Treatment, offer opportunities for practicing communication and making connections with other individuals living with aphasia — a condition that can occur suddenly after a stroke and significantly impact a person’s ability to communicate with their loved ones, understand language, read and write.

Patient Story

Bob

Family Support Spurs Bob’s Recovery From Guillain-Barré Syndrome

When Bob was 72, he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare neurologic condition in which a person’s immune system attacks their own nerves. It can result in muscle weakness and, in severe cases like Bob’s, paralysis as well as breathing and swallowing issues.

Patient Story

Natalie

Natalie’s Story: Paying It Forward After Stroke Through Peer Mentorship

At 17, Natalie S. was all momentum — an athlete and recent high school graduate with a spot on a Big Ten cheerleading squad. But, just weeks into summer, doctors discovered a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) — a tangled mass of blood vessels — deep in her brain.

Patient Story

Ventilator weaning patient

Diaphragmatic Ultrasound Leads to Safe, Efficient Ventilator Weaning

As one of the few rehabilitation hospitals in the United States to accept patients on ventilatory support, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab developed a “ventilator liberation” program, a novel approach to ventilator weaning that taps into the hospital’s clinical and research expertise in muscle rehabilitation.

Patient Story

Natalie

Natalie’s Story: Post-Surgery Rehabilitation Sparks Future Career in Occupational Therapy

During five months of post-surgery rehabilitation in DayRehab at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Natalie not only discovered new abilities and life skills, but she also made a strong connection with her occupational therapist — and now she is planning to pursue a career in occupational therapy.

Patient Story

Charlie

Charlie’s Story: Recovering From Traumatic Brain Injury With Resilience

After Charlie S. experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI) at age 10 due to a sledding accident, he spent weeks in a coma and underwent lifesaving surgery before coming to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for six months of intensive inpatient rehabilitation followed by another five months in DayRehab.

Patient Story