Sam was in a car accident in February that triggered a three month recovery process. Amazingly, this month Sam will be participating in the Walk for Angelman Syndrome in honor of one of his grandchildren who is affected by the syndrome.

Sam says,  “I was pretty well tore up! The worst part was I dislocated my hip. Actually, it was rotated 180 degrees.”

Sam underwent a hip replacement surgery, then was transferred from the hospital to Riverside Health & Rehab in Danville, Virginia for 20 days. After he was discharged home, he began outpatient physical therapy at DOAR East in Danville, Virginia. He worked with Joey Scearce, MPT; Cindi Mathena, PTA; and Raegan Clarke, ATC.

Sam’s physician warned him not to hold himself to the same standards as individuals who underwent elective hip replacement surgery. Because of the traumatic nature of his injury, Sam’s body had more to overcome.

Over the course of his recovery, Sam has progressed from a walker to a four-legged cane to a regular cane, to walking without any assistive device. Sam attributes his progress to his wife, his church, and his therapists. He says, “These therapists and the ones at Riverside were great. They put me through a lot of exercises. Some of them hurt, but I didn’t mind. No pain, no gain!”

Sam’s plan of treatment included exercises to strengthen and improve balance. Along the way, he says his milestones included “walking up steps, taking a shower, using the bathroom on my own, and dressing myself.”

His wife adds, “At first, he couldn’t bend more than 90 degress on that side, so he had a rough time for a while. As therapy helped him get stronger, he could do more and more.”

Although he has made remarkable progress so far, Sam is not done yet. He says, “I’m walking and I’m doing great, but still I’m not well yet. I can’t get on my tractor yet, and I like to mow the grass and work on my old barn sheds to keep them up. I can’t hold my grand-babies right now, and I’ve got three rowdy ones. I’m eager to get back to the way I was. I go to church all the time and we’re always doing something. I want to get back to doing my part and be involved.”

To reach these goals, Sam plans to continue his home exercise program and work on his farm. He is also training for the Walk for Angelman Syndrome, which is May 19, 2012 in Danville, Virginia. We invite you to join us in supporting his continued recovery by donating to Sam’s team at AngelmanSyndrome.org.