Generosity on the Menu – Junior Board Makes New Café Possible 01.12.2021 Thanks to the support of the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 Bal du Bois sponsors, the Junior Board has generously committed $1 million to help make Sheltering Arms Institute a reality! We are extremely grateful for the community’s partnership in our capital campaign. The Junior Board is honoring this spirit of community by naming the hospital’s dining space, the Junior Board Café. Enhancing the recovery process, the Junior Board Café is where team members, patients, and their families gather and dine together, learn to regain independence, and return to what is important in their lives.
An Interfaith Ministry – Mind, Body & Spirit 01.12.2021 “You don’t come here to give up. You come here to live again,” says Dr. Gloria White Flowers, the Interfaith Chaplain at Sheltering Arms Institute. The chapel is a place for everyone of all denominations to worship, offering respite for patients, family, friends, and staff members. She adds, “You will see every known faith on the beautiful stained-glass windows.” “The Sheltering Arms Institute Chapel is an oasis – not just for prayer and reflection, but for solace and strength. I am grateful to Sheltering Arms Institute for recognizing that the rehabilitation journey not only involves the patient, but the family as well. And that journey can be lonely and overwhelming. The opportunity to reboot and find sanctuary in such a peaceful place is deeply appreciated,” says Madeline Mayhood, a family member of a patient. Honoring the mind, body, and spirit connection, Chaplain Flowers meets with every single patient that comes to the Institute. She wants them to know she is always available to help. “As an interfaith chaplain, I provide a ministry of care and support, which respects the personal integrity and religious traditions of all persons. I assist our patients and families in using their inner strength, faith, and relationships to work toward understanding their present experience from a faith or spiritual perspective. Ultimately, their faith will lead them to full healing and wholeness.” Her main objective is always to listen. Thanks to copious amounts of research, Chaplain Flowers honors all of the patients’ religious beliefs and brings a message of healing in a language they understand. For example, if the patient is of the Jewish faith, she uses messages from the Torah to help with recovery. Chaplain Flowers has been with Sheltering Arms for more than 25 years. She concludes, “I have been called to a field where I can work with every faith, which I find very rewarding.”
Donor-Funded EKSO Arrives 11.21.2020 Thanks to the support of donors, the Sheltering Arms Foundation can bring cutting-edge treatment technologies to the community. The latest purchase is the EKSO, a lower extremity robotic exoskeleton that is utilized for patients receiving neurorehabilitation. Sheltering Arms Institute will be the first inpatient rehabilitation hospital in the state of Virginia to have an EKSO clinical program. The Sheltering Arms outpatient location in Hanover also received an EKSO, which supports the continuum of care. “EKSO will offer our patients the opportunity to experience over-ground walking early in their recovery process, which may not have otherwise been possible due to the severity of their injuries,” said Zach Crump, DPT, Locomotor Specialist. The EKSO is one of the most widely researched exoskeletons for over-ground ambulation. Current research indicates that the EKSO is both safe and feasible for use in the inpatient rehabilitation setting. Additionally, this device has shown promising results in walking speed, endurance, lower extremity strength, and functional mobility for persons with spinal cord injury1-2. “This device will be a tremendous resource for our therapy teams to give our patients the best opportunity to regain walking function and to reinvent rehabilitation for life beyond limits!” Zach said. “We are so grateful to donors for making this gift, which will serve our patients for years to come.”
Inspired to Help Others Walk Again: Patient Becomes Team Member 11.11.2020 The road to Ben Barbee’s new job as a rehab tech started with a short drive to see a friend. That was back in March; he never made it to the friend’s house. A car accident nearly took his life. He was unresponsive at the scene and spent three weeks in a coma. The extent of his serious brain injury would not be known until he regained consciousness. “My brain wasn’t getting enough oxygen and I wasn’t supposed to walk or talk again,” Ben said. When he started rousing from coma, he was disoriented and pulled the IVs out of his arms. Then he remembers waking up, not able to move or feel his hands that had been restrained to the bed. “I asked the nurse watching me, ‘Do I have hands?’” He spent another week in a stepdown unit before transferring to VCU Health Department of PM&R to begin inpatient rehabilitation learning to use his body again. Like other patients in those early days of COVID-19, he was doing this without the physical presence of family and friends. Visitors weren’t allowed, so the recreation therapists helped him use FaceTime to connect with family. During his two and a half weeks in PM&R, he worked to overcome a stutter he didn’t have before the accident and learned to walk again. “Learning to walk again was the best feeling I ever had,” Ben said about the experience that inspired his next career move. “I wanted to give that feeling to somebody else!” During the next step in his recovery, outpatient treatment at Sheltering Arms Bon Air, he learned about Sheltering Arms Institute and the open positions that could help him achieve his goal. “Nowadays I find happiness in serving another person,” Ben said about his new job, which is a departure from his previous jobs selling residential solar panels and as a soldier in the U.S. Army. “When I am walking by a patient’s room and I see a dinner tray, I step in, introduce myself, and clear the tray. I really act like, ‘If I was in their shoes – like I was 3 months ago – I would want that dirty tray out of my room.’” Only a few weeks into his new job and he’s already had a taste of his dream as he helps people use equipment like the Hocoma Andago and Bioness Vector. “The feeling is indescribable to be honest,” Ben said. “Especially when we set up the mirror in front of them and they can see themselves walk again. I got pretty close with this one patient and his family. A few times while watching him walk again, we both kind of shed a tear – before a smile of course!”
Canine Companions for Independence® Facility Dog Joins Sheltering Arms Institute Team 09.24.2020 Motivation and support come in many forms, including a cold nose and a warm heart. Sheltering Arms Institute, a collaboration with VCU Health, is pleased to welcome its newest team member, Canine Companions for Independence Facility Dog, Clara. Clara will assist handler Dr. Cynthia Rolston, Director of Psychosocial Services and Inter-Professional Science, in her work with patients. Clara is a two-year-old Lab/Golden Retriever cross and has been training since she was eight weeks old. After being carefully matched with one another, Clara and Dr. Rolston spent the last two weeks working with professional Canine Companions instructors to prepare for their new roles. Training consisted of intensive lectures, hands-on practice and simulations, and multiple examinations in order to acquire public certification. In just her first few days on the job, Clara has already acclimated to the many changes in her life and settled into her new home and work environment, bringing smiles to our patients’ faces. “This is a new and exciting program for all of us, and I can’t wait to see how Clara helps our patients achieve independence,” Dr. Rolston said. “We will be working together as a team as we integrate Clara into patient therapy sessions at Sheltering Arms Institute.” Since 1975, Canine Companions has bred, raised, and expertly trained assistance dogs in more than 40 commands designed to assist people with disabilities or to motivate and inspire patients with special needs. Clara can pull toy wagons, push drawers closed, and retrieve all kinds of items. She has specific commands that allow her to interact with patients in a calm and appropriate way. “We have full confidence Clara will be an exceptional facility dog for Sheltering Arms Institute and bring a host of skills and smiles to the halls daily. She will assist the patients with their therapies, help patients practice their activities of daily living, and bring an added psychological assist,” said Debra Dougherty, Northeast Region Executive Director for Canine Companions for Independence. Canine Companions for Independence enhances the lives of people with disabilities by training and placing more than 6,000 assistance dogs with program graduates. Canine Companions depends on the support of tens of thousands of donors and volunteers to match our facility with an assistance dog like Clara entirely free of charge. The support for staff training and Clara’s ongoing needs is being provided by generous Sheltering Arms Foundation donors. ### About Sheltering Arms Institute Sheltering Arms and VCU Health System have formed a joint venture, Sheltering Arms Institute, a state-of-the-science physical rehabilitation hospital, that brings together the brand and clinical reputation of Sheltering Arms and the nationally ranked programs of VCU Health. The Institute blends advanced technology, research, and evidence-based clinical treatment to create an innovative, transdisciplinary model of rehabilitative care that will facilitate superior outcomes for patients. All outpatient services for both parent organizations will operate separately for now and into the foreseeable future. For more information, please visit www.shelteringarmsinstitute.com. About Canine Companions for Independence Canine Companions for Independence provides expertly trained assistance dogs to children, adults, and veterans with disabilities at no charge. Established in 1975, Canine Companions has six training centers across the country. The largest non-profit provider of assistance dogs, Canine Companions is recognized worldwide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality and longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. For more information, visit cci.org or call 1-800-572-BARK. Attachments: Images of Clara (.jpg) Media Kit
‘God has given me a gift:’ Michael Lowery Survives Spinal Cord Injury Following Weightlifting Accident 09.23.2020 It was just before the holidays on December 17, 2019. Most of us were shopping, decorating, and preparing to spend time with family. 38-year-old Michael Lowery was beginning the most significant challenge of his life. He was working out at the gym, lifting heavy free weights. In the middle of his heaviest set, someone called his name. Instinctually, he turned his head, “which is a no-no and I instantly felt a pinched nerve in my neck and I started to fall. When I went to push back up with all I had, that’s when it snapped my neck,” Michael recalls. A native of Martinsville, Virginia, Michael was rushed to a local emergency room where he immediately underwent surgery. Following the first surgery, the doctors realized his case was much more severe and transported him to VCU Health, where a second surgery was performed. “When I woke up, I couldn’t feel anything. I couldn’t breathe, so they put me on a ventilator. I was on a ventilator for a month and a half. My family had already made [after-life] plans because they didn’t think I was going to pull through.” Michael was left with an American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Classification C incomplete spinal cord injury. He has a metal plate inside of his neck from his C3 to C6 vertebrae, but he also has a witty sense of humor, a positive attitude, and determination to continue getting better. “At first, I was just happy to wiggle my toes, that was the best thing ever, but then I started to think, ‘This isn’t so bad. I can work my way up and I believe I can handle this,’” he said. On March 3, Michael transferred to the rehab floor at VCU Health. “It’s emotional talking about,” Michael shares. “When I first got on the rehab floor, I couldn’t hardly do anything. I literally had to learn everything like I was a newborn—how to walk, how to talk.” What ensued was a lot of hard work in therapy, mentally and physically. Starting small, his therapists used different strength bands in occupational therapy to work on hand strength and small movements on the mat in physical therapy to build his strength back up. “Michael and I were able to use every rehab technique under the sun,” said Ben Kiesler, OTR/L, who has been working with Michael since the beginning of his rehab stay. “We developed an exercise routine he liked performing and we shocked his muscles to help him regain his strength early on. The majority of our sessions focused on getting comfortable with his balance and practicing techniques for living independently.” “I used to be scared to death to [do things like] lean over to do a pressure release because I was so scared I was going to flip out of my wheelchair,” Michael adds. “And then one day I said, you know what? I’m going to practice this until I get it right.” In June, Michael was one of the first patients to transfer from VCU Health to Sheltering Arms Institute. He began losing his fears and finding hope as he started to see some of his muscles return. “As he got into the routine of rehab and started seeing gains, he really challenged himself to push further and he started talking about all of the things he was excited to do, like joining the wheelchair rugby team or renting an apartment. He became very forward thinking and I was so glad to see that,” added Ben. “Here at Sheltering Arms Institute, they have a lot of neat machines that helped me get even more movement back since I’ve been here,” he says about the state-of-the-science technologies. “The [Hocoma] Lokomat is awesome! I was looking at it thinking, ‘How in the world am I going to do this?’ They hook me up to a harness, lift me up in the air, and lower my feet down onto a treadmill… I can really kick my leg out like I’m walking and I thought that was so awesome.” Throughout his recovery, Michael has been steadfast in documenting his progress, being sure to record videos almost daily to help him reflect on how far he’s come and to send his family updates. “I went from not being able to do anything and now I’m walking with a walker. [I hope that] families whose sons or husbands or mothers have a spinal cord injury, they can look at these videos and maybe my story will help motivate them and give them hope.” Michael and his care team have also placed a lot of emphasis on exercises that help him learn new ways to be independent such as practicing cooking, learning to lie on his back, using the restroom by himself, and bathing himself. “I can transfer onto my wheelchair, roll myself into the shower, do a lateral transfer onto the bench, shower, dry off, get back in the chair, get back in the bed, get dressed, and hop back in my chair again,” he says of his routine. He hopes to live on his own, become a peer mentor for other spinal cord injury survivors, and one day, walk again. “Being able to show my moves, my skills on the mat to another wheelchair person—that is great. I want to devote my time into coming back here and helping other spinal cord injury patients. God has given me a gift of making people laugh and putting smiles on people’s faces, so that’s my job, that’s what I do.”
Woman Survives Months-long Battle with COVID-19 08.18.2020 This story originally appeared on NBC12 (WWBT) August 18, 2020 By: Jasmine Turner RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – After nearly 10 weeks in the hospital battling COVID-19, a New Kent woman is looking forward to returning home to her family. “I am supposed to go home on Friday if everything goes well,” explained Corinne Townsend. “I’ve had to learn how to swallow, to walk, to talk, it’s crazy. It’s not worth not wearing a mask over because everything can be taken from you in a second.” The 30-year-old wife and mother of two started feeling sick in early June. She says she had been taking as many precautions as possible and has no underlying medical conditions. Corrine and her husband run a family business, and she says her husband was diagnosed as asymptomatic, other employees were asymptotic or had mild symptoms. Corrine experienced the virus much worse than anyone else. “I started just feeling weak, I have two little boys, so picking them up became hard. I started coughing really hard,” she explained. “I actually [spoke with] a webcam doctor and they said ‘you probably have COVID, keep an eye on it.’ I self quarantined. I never had a fever. One night I went to go to the restroom, I passed out on my way back, and my husband found me with my eyes in the back of my head.” Corrine was taken to the hospital at 84% oxygen, she says doctors expected her to stay in the hospital for 12 days, but it just continued to get harder to breathe. She posted about her struggles on Facebook, urging the community to take the virus seriously. “They made the decision to put me on the vent,” she said. “I knew at that point my lungs were bad enough and my body was sick enough and I knew I had to rest, but the idea of resting like that was terrifying. I was so worried I wasn’t going to wake up or my lungs wouldn’t let me breathe on my own.” She texted family and friends saying she was unsure if she would survive, and for three and a half weeks, Corrine was motionless on a ventilator. “I had a collapsed lung, my heart stopped, I had chest tubes. Of course, I don’t remember but it was really traumatic for my friends and family,” Corrine said. While she remained in the hospital, family and friends were able to receive updates through a Caring Bridge site. Last week, Corrine was transferred from VCU Medical Center to Sheltering Arms Institute in Short Pump where she is set to wrap up a week of rehabilitation. “It’s a very humbling experience,” she said. She remains on a strict physical therapy and occupational therapy schedule at Sheltering Arms Institute, to help regain strength in her legs as well as strength in her lungs. Right now, Corrine can only stand for 2-3 minutes without feeling exhausted. “It’s so important [to wear a mask] because you’re not just protecting people you know, they may take it to somebody else and somebody else,” she said. “When COVID first came out I never thought I would be this sick. It wasn’t that I was downplaying COVID, I just never thought it would happen to me.” While visitors were not allowed during her hospital stay, Corrine is grateful to the hospital staff that did and have continued to step in as her family during her recovery. Through tears, she described what the doctors and nurses have meant. “I cannot thank the doctors and nurses enough. My journey became their journey too. To see them crying and cheering for me – that chapter was good, I survived. I know I have further to go but I can’t thank them enough,” said Corinne. When she gets out of the hospital, Corrine says she first wants to hug her children but also wants to continue to share her story to hopefully protect someone else from the virus. “I want people to know how serious this is,” she explained. “[I know] you’re going to have to go through this – you have to help other people in the process. You have to get people to understand how serious this is because you don’t want to see anyone else go through this.” Copyright 2020 WWBT. All rights reserved.
Grand Opening of Dallas Disbro Ability Center 08.17.2020 A Spinal Cord Injury Recovery and Complex Care Unit in the New Physical Rehab Hospital RICHMOND, Va. — Sheltering Arms Institute, a collaboration with VCU Health, is pleased to announce the grand opening of the Dallas Disbro Ability Center today, Monday, August 17. This spinal cord injury and complex care recovery unit within the hospital features a dedicated gym with advanced rehab equipment and technology, patient education, nutrition and therapy rooms, and a bodyweight support system for gait training outside of the gym. The unit is named in honor of Dallas by The Luck Family, who made a historic gift to the $50 million Capital Campaign for Convergence, which helped fund the construction of the new hospital. “My wife Lisa and I were excited by the technology, sophistication, quality of life, and how this place will change lives forever,” said Charlie Luck, CEO of Luck Companies. “Dallas has been a true inspiration for so many, especially to those with spinal cord injuries. My family and I thought it was fitting that this specialty unit at Sheltering Arms Institute would bear his name.” Dallas, a friend of The Lucks, survived a diving accident at age 26. He sustained a C5 spinal cord injury, which necessitates the use of a wheelchair most of the time. Following the accident, Dallas decided to live larger than his injury and give back to others with disabilities. After the surprise unveiling of the plans for the center in March, Dallas said, “I could not hold back the tears and was overrun with emotions… It was a moment that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. I am truly honored and eternally grateful. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Dallas Disbro Ability Center and I look forward to being part of it!” The spinal cord injury and complex care unit is one of four specialty units within the new hospital that provides state-of-the-science, individualized rehab care for various injuries and illnesses. The 212,063 square foot facility, constructed specifically for physical rehabilitation and research, has all private spacious patient rooms, a 9,251 square foot main therapy gym and three satellite gyms, and state-of-the-art patient care technology and rehabilitation equipment. “The Luck Family and Dallas Disbro exemplify the passion and commitment that Sheltering Arms Institute has for providing the best rehabilitative care and reinventing rehabilitation for life beyond limits,” said Alan Lombardo, CEO of Sheltering Arms Institute. “With input from experts, patients, and their families, we have created a hospital that is unique to the Mid-Atlantic region with the most advanced technology and environment for healing and recovery.” Sheltering Arms Institute is located on 46 acres in the West Creek Medical Park near Short Pump, easily accessible from major highways including 288, 64, and 95. About Sheltering Arms Institute Sheltering Arms and VCU Health System have formed a joint venture, Sheltering Arms Institute, a state-of-the-science, regional physical rehabilitation hospital, that brings together the brand and clinical reputation of Sheltering Arms and the nationally ranked programs of VCU Health. The Institute blends advanced technology, research, and evidence-based clinical treatment to create an innovative, transdisciplinary model of rehabilitative care that will facilitate superior outcomes for patients. All outpatient services for both parent organizations will operate separately for now and into the foreseeable future. For more information, please visit our About Us Page. ### Attachments: Dallas Disbro and The Luck Family at the Center’s Unveiling on March 6 (.jpg) Sound Bite from Dallas and B-Roll of Sheltering Arms Institute (.mp4) Images of Sheltering Arms Institute (.jpg) Media Kit CONTACT: Stephanie Sulmer Public Information Officer 804-342-4329 (o) or 804-201-5808 (c) ssulmer@shelteringarms.com
