Stories of Impact
James
James’ world was getting smaller. As he got older, his hip joint was deteriorating and he needed a hip replacement. Stairs were becoming an issue for him, keeping him from visiting his grandmother’s and parents’ homes. He even had to quit his job.
James’ hip replacement was complicated by the mobility issues of his cerebral palsy. The condition was causing James such excruciating pain that he had been confined to a wheelchair for 10 years before he finally found a surgeon out-of-state willing to perform a hip replacement surgery for him.
After several surgeries with some very serious complications, James eventually came home for eight more weeks of non-weight-bearing restrictions.
And that’s when Curative came into the picture. “James was apprehensive to attempt standing after what happened the first time. We went to several therapy locations between Racine and Milwaukee, and none of them met our expectations,” explained Lynda. “When his doctor recommended Sara at Curative Therapy Services, we knew we were in the right place.”
“When James started at Curative, we worked on his goals of walking with a cane and doing stairs,” explains Sara. “In two months, he went from walking a few steps to about 200 feet with a cane. He went from not doing stairs in over 10 years to being able to do six steps with assistance. I had confidence in James and soon he had confidence in himself. It wasn’t long before he was walking further than he had in a really long time. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone regain their independence.”
“It felt really good to be up and walking,” shares James. “Sara and I shared hugs, and tears, and a few high fives.”
James can now revisit his childhood home, and spend time at his grandmother’s house. One of his favorite pastimes is going for drives with his dad. And thanks to the efforts of Curative, James and his dad don’t need to take his wheel-chair accessible van anymore, they can go cruising in his dad’s truck now that James can safely do car transfers.
“The pride on James’ face when he walks is amazing,” says Lynda. “He has been through so much. I am so happy for him and so grateful for Curative.”