Hear From Our Patients
Meet Spencer
Spencer Brown had a lot of exciting events coming up in his life—a graduation and a new baby—but things suddenly changed when he suffered a spinal cord injury. Just a year later, Brown is recovering and making significant milestones thanks to his resilience and his team at Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital.
Meet Bryan
Bryan Caldwell was only 34 when he suffered a serious stroke. After two months in the hospital, he was transferred to Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital where he faced many challenges on his road to recovery. With only half of his body working like it did before his stroke, he was determined to get his life back to normal as much as possible—even if that meant a “new normal”.
Meet Dani & Drew
Para Nordic skiers and TRAILS participants, Dani Aravich and Drew Shea, trained hard to earn themselves spots on Team U.S.A. for the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games. Both of them were fairly new to the Para Nordic skiing world when they fell in love with the sport. With the help of training on Team Soldier Hollow and coaching from Tanja Kari, TRAILS program director, Aravich and Shea were able to learn techniques and skills that take most athletes years to develop.
Meet Manny
Manny Arocha spent 96 days fighting for his life against the COVID-19 virus that ravaged his lungs and body. But with the unwavering support of his family and expert care from his medical team in the Cardiovascular ICU and at Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, he was able to return home to his loved ones.
Meet Sarah
When a car accident left Sarah Frei paralyzed, she chose to be unstoppable despite her new reality. With her unwavering go-getter attitude and the help of her rehabilitation team at Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital, she was determined to get back to checking off her bucket list items.
Meet Kristen
Kristen Knight became suicidal and depressed after she suffered a stroke. She felt helpless due to the loss of her independence and everyday function. She couldn't even access the proper recovery care she needed despite numerous hospital treatments and nursing home stays. She was finally able to get the physical and emotional support she needed at Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital.
Meet Jenny
In August 2019, Jenny Rhoads Larkin was hit by a car during one of her daily runs. She suffered many injuries, including a severe traumatic brain injury. At U of U Health, a multidisciplinary team of neurosurgeons and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation specialists helped her recover and run again.
Meet Sam
In December 2010, Sam Matagi's life changed forever when he lost both his hands in an electrical accident while working as a power lineman in Colorado.
Meet Dustin
When Dustin Godnick was in a car accident that shattered his spine at age 17, his life changed in more ways than he ever could have predicted.
Meet Sarah
An ATV accident left Sarah paralyzed from the waist down. ReWalk technology is helping her get back on her feet.
Meet Roberto
Roberto explains what it means to be a patient at University of Utah Health and how staff and doctors from the rehabilitation program helped him embrace life after his accident.
Meet David
At age 54, David, a physicist and computer scientist, had excellent health and a successful career working on Minuteman missiles. One day, however, everything became fuzzy, and he suffered a stroke.
Meet Clay
Riding through the cold mountain air as the sun was setting is the last thing Clay remembers before seeing two stray horses inches from his front motorcycle tire. The resulting impact caused a spinal cord injury with quadriplegia, a condition that affected the use of his legs, arms, and hands.
Meet Jasin
Jasin grew up riding horses in team roping events. However, in 2003 his life changed in a fraction of a second while on a trip to a holiday family gathering.
Meet Danna
Six months after her son Cade was born, 25-year-old Danna learned that she had osteosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in her left leg. Suddenly the joys and challenges of being a new parent took on an entirely new meaning.
Meet Beth
Beth has a vague memory of her mother and brother driving her to University of Utah Hospital where she was admitted to the Neuro-Critical Care Unit. She was diagnosed with a life-threatening hemorrhagic stroke.