Success Stories

Bryan, a recent Cheshire Home graduate, suffered a C2 through C8 spinal injury when he fell down 18 stairs landing on a concrete floor while renovating an unoccupied home in 2016. He lay at the bottom of the steps for 18 hours before a friend found him. His diagnosis was quadriplegic incomplete, which at the time, took from him the ability to move anything below his neck. Over the next few months, he would go through three spinal fusions and would have hardware inserted in his neck to stabilize his head. Doctors told Bryan it would be years before he might see any change in his condition, if at all.

After his injury, Bryan would spend the next six months in the hospital, and then was transferred to a nursing home before coming to Cheshire Home in 2017. At this point in his recovery, Bryan had regained some use of his hands. Shortly after arriving at Cheshire Home, Bryan started to feel tingling in his legs and toes, a positive sign for anyone who has experienced a spinal cord injury.

Bryan stated he went through several emotional phases after settling in at Cheshire Home. As his new reality sank in, he went through a “why me” stage, then became angry at the world, and then fell into a deep depression. He suffered extreme anxiety which led to panic attacks. “All of a sudden I couldn’t walk anymore,” Bryan said, and he felt hopeless about what the future held.

With the care of the nursing staff at Cheshire Home, who sat by his bedside calming him down, holding his hand and telling him everything was going to be okay, Bryan slowly started to have hope for the future. “This isn’t me,” Bryan said to himself after spending months fearing the life that lay ahead. The only thing that went through his mind was, “I have to get back to being Bryan again.” He began to accept his injury and was determined to get his life back, even if it was just quality of life. “They got me through the hardest time in my life,” Bryan said about the staff at Cheshire Home. “They have been family ever since.”

Bryan started his recovery journey and began working with the Physical and Occupational Therapy Department at Cheshire Home. He started to regain some of the use of his hands and arms while working with Director of Therapy, Lauren Rosario. He was determined and worked hard, in and out of the therapy room. “I wasn’t going to give up,” Bryan said. He noted three things necessary to overcome an injury such as his, the desire to get better, patience, and faith. “Without these three things, you will never get better,” he said.

A significant turning point in his recovery was when the Cheshire Home Physical Therapy Department leased a cutting-edge machine called the Rise&Walk,

a full-spectrum gait trainer that also helps improve core strength. Bryan was the first resident to use the machine. “The first time I stood up out of my chair, it was an unbelievable feeling,” Bryan said. “It felt like I was getting my life back. I finally had hope for the future, and it motivated me.” Working under the direction of Cheshire Home Lead Physical Therapist, Bethany Greenfield, Bryan began to make progress.

“It was exhilarating,” Bryan said after taking 1,700 steps the first time he used the Rise&Walk. “It was the first time I thought I could possibly get function back in my legs.” Bryan began to improve every time he used the Rise&Walk. “It changed my mindset. I thought ‘I can do to do this,’ and it motivated me to keep pushing.”

After six months of using the Rise&Walk, Bryan was able to roll from side to side in bed. He now had the ability to use his own strength to pull his legs off the side of the bed and sit up on his own. He eventually was able to transfer to his chair, a skill necessary to live independently. “Working with OT and PT, I was able to get myself in my chair and do the things I needed to live independently,” Bryan said. With a positive attitude, renewed hope for the future, and the motivation of the Cheshire Home staff, he began to improve. “The magic happens when you put the effort in,” Bryan said. 

In September 2023, Bryan moved into Cheshire Home III, a group home that provides a comfortable, fully accessible residence for adults with physical disabilities. “Cheshire Home became my family; without them I would never have been able to be independent,” Bryan said. “They gave me the strength, comfort and the help I needed. Without them I would not be where I am today.”

Bryan is taking things one day at a time and said he now has peace of mind knowing that everything is going to be okay. He has physical therapy twice a week at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and now cooks for himself. “Cheshire Home is a blessing, a one-of-a-kind place and there is no other place like it,” Bryan said. “I have my life back because of Cheshire Home and the only thing standing between me and walking again are four wheels.”

Cheshire Home recently caught up with former resident, Quaid, at his new apartment in Warren. Quaid graduated from Cheshire Home after spending approximately a year and a half with us. While at Cheshire Home, Quaid rekindled his spirit and now has hope for a brighter future.

Quaid was just 21 years old when he experienced a spinal cord injury in the C5, C6 and T8 section after crashing while riding an ATV at a friend’s wedding. He was airlifted to the hospital and would spend the next several weeks there before transferring to Kessler Rehabilitation Center. While at Kessler, Quaid was able to slowly regain some of the use of his arms and hands. He spent three months at Kessler before returning home to his parents’ house in a wheelchair. “I would look in the mirror and say, ‘who am I, I don’t look the same, I don’t feel the same,” Quaid said. He would spend several years at home being cared for by his family and a morning aide before learning of Cheshire Home through a friend.

At Cheshire Home, “you’re not alone” Quaid said noting that prior to arriving he felt isolated which led to feeling depressed. “The care was amazing,” Quaid said. He also said the staff is there to help you navigate through the day. The camaraderie and the conversations were a few of his favorite things about Cheshire Home. “It gave me the opportunity to meet other people in wheelchairs.” Quaid said he needed to get out of the house and talk to others who were going through the same thing as him. He stated he was frustrated, angry and sad.

Prior to his injury, Quaid was working towards moving out of his parents’ home. When he returned back home, things were very different. The severity

of his injury and his inability to do things for himself created tension and added stress not only to him, but to his family. He needed help to find hope for the future.

While at Cheshire Home Quaid turned his life around. “The nurses are experienced and know what you’re going through,” Quaid continued. Cheshire Home Director of Social Services, Annie Williams, was instrumental in helping Quaid reenter the community and find a home that fits his needs. His apartment is nestled in a beautiful area of Warren and is close to his family’s home. A 2010 graduate of Watchung Hills High School, which is right down the road from his new apartment, Quaid finally feels like he has found a place that works for him.

A former welder who worked as a pipe fitter, Quaid is hopeful that he will find a job as rewarding. He enjoyed his work, which is also his father’s profession, stating that it was “something that was fulfilling.” Quaid enjoys working with Legos and uses the pastime as part of his occupational therapy. His freestyle Lego creations are impressive!

“I am in a much better place now; more compassionate and understanding than I was before,” Quaid said. He said that he no longer takes things for granted and suggested others should do the same. “I am now closer to God and that helps me out.” Quaid’s progress is a testament to his resilience and determination and the unwavering support he received at Cheshire Home.

Cheshire Home is so proud to have been part of Quaid’s journey and wishes him all the best in the future!

Cheshire Home resident, Rey, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your hands and feet are usually the first symptoms of GBS. These sensations can quickly spread, eventually paralyzing your whole body. His first symptoms appeared overnight and by morning, his life was turned upside down. His wife was five months pregnant with their second daughter at the time.

Rey spent over two months in the ICU overcoming a multitude of complications and now paralyzed, was then sent to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation where he would spend the next few months. While at Kessler, he witnessed the birth of his daughter via Facetime. His daughter, born at 32 weeks, would spend nine days in the NICU. There was a lot going on in Rey’s life and now it was time for him to move on from Kessler. Cheshire Home was recommended as the next step in his recovery process.

“I was under the impression I wasn’t going to like it here,” Rey said about Cheshire Home. “I thought it was a nursing home. But that’s not what it was.” What Rey realized after arriving at Cheshire Home was it is nothing like a nursing home. “This is the place to be.”

Fully paralyzed from the GBS, Rey credits the Cheshire Home Physical and Occupational Therapy Department for helping him get his range of motion back. He used our Rise&Walk machine to improve his gait, as well as to achieve other goals such as being able to transfer, improve his balance, and bilateral lower extremity strengthening. He also works tirelessly in Occupational Therapy to regain flexibility and range of motion in his arms and hands.Rey can now walk fluidly with the assistance of a walker. He has also gained more upper-body movement and can do more things including feed himself. He credits Cheshire Home Director of Therapy, Lauren Rosario, and Lead Physical Therapist, Bethany Greenfield, for his success. “In the beginning it wasn’t easy, but they had a plan,” Rey said. As he started to progress, he became more optimistic and has set his sights on being reunited with his family.

“What I like in particular about Cheshire Home is that people really need this,” Rey said referring to the specialized care and physical and occupational therapy on site. Seeing people get the help they need has inspired Rey and he continues to work hard towards his goal of living independently. “I am excited to be with such a great crew. This is a great place,” he said.