Patient Stories

Jim Nichols

Keeping pace with new knees.

Last summer, Jim, 69, completed three months of rehabilitation for twin knee replacement surgery. “I’m almost back to where I want to be,” he says. Where he wants to be is fully involved in a life so rich and diverse it would exhaust people half his age.
 Read more.   

Byrdie Jackson

Active after a broken neck.

Byrdie Jackson was out walking her son’s German Shepherd, Chance, in a watershed area in Orleans in December 2008 when the rambunctious canine spied another dog behind a chain-link fence and bolted — yanking Byrdie 15 feet. Read more.

Richard Wacholz

Fractured four vertebrae.

On a fine May day just about a year ago, Richard Wacholz of Scituate took his new road bike for a training ride. A dedicated athlete, the trim 59-year-old was preparing for a fund-raising ride.  Read more.

Heather Smith

Survived a stroke while preganant..

As 2006 ended, life was good for Heather Smith and her growing family. She and her husband, Chris, were expecting their second child. Her son, Ethan, 5, had started school. She worked at JML Care Center in Falmouth as a physical therapy assistant. At 34, she was energetic and dedicated. Read more.   

Lisa Mazzola

Multiple trauma survivor

Lisa Mazzola would be the first to tell you she shouldn't be alive.  A driver going the wrong way on a one-way street clipped the front wheel of her motorcycle at 40 mph.  After pulling through near-fatal injuries, Lisa threw herself into rehabilitation, overcoming daunting odds to reclaim her life.  Read more.  

Jerry Esposito 

Had both knees replaced

It was about eight years ago that Jerry Esposito reconciled himself to living with pain.  Adventures from his self-described "reckless youth" had caught up with his knees.  Then knee replacement surgery and rehabilitation gave him a second chance to live an active family and professional life - without pain.  Read more.

Jennifer Boggs 

Survived four strokes

For years, Jennifer Boggs thought her headaches, muscle pain and fatigue were due to migraine headaches.  Instead, they were caused by a rare malformation in part of her brain.  The day after surgery to repair the malformation, Jennifer suffered four strokes.  Rehabilitation helped her regain her independence and return to her husband and young sons.  Read more.

Dick Brown 

Stroke survivor

For Dick Brown, golf is more than a game.  It's a passion.  After suffering a stroke, Dick came to RHCI where therapists incorporated golf into his rehabilitation.  Then he participated in RHCI's Back in the Swing adapted golf clinics, which helped him become a stroke survivor, not a stroke victim.  Read more.

Peter Hayes 

Golfing after back surgery

For Peter Hayes, golf is his life and his livelihood.  But back problems and five surgeries left him in excruciating pain, wondering if he'd ever work again.  His RHCI outpatient team of a rehabilitation physician and therapists experienced with treating golfing injuries got Peter back on course.  Read more.

Christian Barclay 

Growing strong

Christian Barclay is a typical ten-year-old.  He roots for the Red Sox, plays soccer and hockey, gets cranky when he's tired.  There's just one difference:  Christian was born without legs.  Yet he's striving to reach his full potential thanks to a devoted mom and the dedication of his rehabilitation team.  Read more.