Martin Health System | For your health | Winter 2018

martinhealth.org 13 AFTER HAVING a massive brain bleed in November 2016, Chase Rushlow spent nearly a month in a coma, kept alive by a ventilator and feeding tube. His family prayed for the best, and friends rallied around the young man they loved. When he came out of the coma, he was unable to speak and his right side was completely paralyzed. But with determination and a positive spirit, he gradually made advances as his speech improved and his right leg recovered. A second chance at life More recently, Rushlow began to see another significant change as he started using new equipment at the Richard C. Raub Rehabilitation Center at Martin Health—the RT300 Cycle. The cycle was purchased in October 2017, and he has been using it twice a week ever since. “This is cutting-edge technology for patients with neurological im- pairments,” said Brinley Johnson, the Martin Health physical therapist who advocated for the cycle’s purchase. Among its many therapeutic interventions, “It uses electrical stimulation to reverse muscle disuse atrophy, improve local blood circula- tion, and reduce spasms and spastic- ity,” she said. The RT300 Cycle provides pa- tients with real-time feedback on the amount of force and effort needed to make a movement possible. It offers a safe and effective strengthening program for patients previously un- able to actively participate in therapy due to the severity or complexity of their condition or cognitive level. Rushlow credits the cycle with making his paralyzed right arm begin to feel normal again. “My arm The new RT300 Cycle is making a life-changing difference for patients like Chase Rushlow, pictured with his Martin Health physical therapist, Brinley Johnson. started feeling like it’s supposed to,” he said. “I feel like no one can stop me now!” “This is a second chance at life for Chase,” said his mother, Deanna Rushlow. “He came out of this start- ing from scratch. We feel blessed to be here.” ‘No one can stop me now’ Gift from a grateful patient provides life-restoring therapy Making a life-changing difference The RT300 Cycle was made possible through a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. S. Robert Rimer. The Rimers established a special neurosciences fund at the Martin Health Foundation in appreciation for the exceptional care received from John Robinson, MD, Martin Health neurosurgeon (pictured at left). MAKE A FULL RECOVERY. To schedule an appointment with one of the therapists at a Martin Health Rehabilitation Center, call 772.245.2320 . FOUNDATION