Keeping Up With Darlene: An Attitude that Keeps Her Moving Towards Her Goals
Darlene suffered a brain injury after being hit by a truck while crossing the street in 2014. After being in a coma for a week, Darlene left the hospital and participated in rehabilitation, but
discharged with plans to continue to make gains. A year and a half after her accident, Darlene was referred to our NeuroRestorative program in Warren, MI, to focus on therapies that improve her abilities in memory, movement, life skills, and the regaining of confidence.
When Darlene first came to our NeuroRestorative Warren, MI, program, she went through our neurorehabilitation program, focusing on occupational, physical, cognitive therapy, and counseling. “NeuroRestorative provided me with the confidence and tools to cope with my new normal,” said Darlene. The team helped Darlene with her physical, mental, and life skill goals including, navigating a computer, controlling her behavior/thoughts, and even finding joy in hobbies like woodworking.
“When I started working with Darlene, I noticed that she was always willing to learn new things. Once Darlene learns a new skill, she always shows interest and will perform the task as much as she can,” said Jasmine, one of Darlene’s Direct Support Program Coordinator. “What helped Darlene the most was keeping busy and learning new things throughout the day, physically and mentally.”
Although she didn’t necessarily need PT and OT services, Darlene enjoys participating in the fitness and yoga programs. She is looking forward to the future and plans to take college classes and get a community job. When asked what advice she would give someone going through something similar, Darlene replied, “Take full advantage of all of the resources available at NeuroRestorative. They helped me gain so much confidence. You will make friends at the program who are going through similar challenges as you, and the staff are there to help and listen to your concerns.”