BLOGS & NEWS

Patient’s Unwavering Determination Gets Him to Daughter’s Wedding

Steven Lanners is a retired 74-year-old correctional officer from Goodyear, Arizona, who has spent the past 10 summers in Alaska with his wife Karen. He enjoys fishing, hiking, working on boats, working on land and cabin maintenance, and taking their dog to the park.

This past spring, Steven experienced pain in his left hip and went to urgent care. He was sent to a hospital to drain an abscess on his hip. Unfortunately, he became critically ill with sepsis, required a hip surgery, and also experienced a stroke. This resulted in Steven being unable to stand, walk, or communicate well.

After his initial medical treatment, Steven was referred to ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Avondale for specialized rehabilitative care. His ultimate goal from the moment he entered the hospital was to be able to attend his daughter’s wedding that was nine days away. At the time, Steven was experiencing poor endurance and balance, which limited his walking ability. He needed a wheelchair for mobility and required assistance when transferring to a chair.

Undeterred, Steven began his rehabilitation with a positive and determined attitude. He worked diligently with the hospital’s interdisciplinary healthcare team to reach his goal, participating daily in physical, occupational, and speech therapies. As part of his treatment plan, the team incorporated his daughter’s wedding as a therapeutic community outing. Plans were made to transport Steven to the event in a hospital van while being accompanied full-time by one of the hospital’s occupational therapists.

“I could tell I was improving considerably; I could see my independence gains by the day,” Steven says. “I had decided I could either work to get better or not. I chose to get better.”

When the wedding day arrived, Steven could communicate clearly in conversation. He had increased his endurance to a point where he was able to stand at the end of the aisle to give his daughter away during the ceremony. He participated in the day’s activities, including wedding photos and greeting of guests. His day involved a lot of standing with periodic seated rest breaks. As the festivities came to a close, the hospital staff transported Steven back to ClearSky Avondale to continue with his remaining inpatient treatments.

Steven, shown above, is pictured at his daughter’s wedding with Chyna, an occupational therapist from ClearSky Avondale.

Steven continued his therapy for four more days at ClearSky Avondale before being discharged home. When he left, he walked out of the hospital with a cane while listening to his favorite song during the staff’s discharge ceremony. On his way out, he rang the hospital’s bell, symbolizing his regained independence and return to home.