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Celebrating Recovery – Ryan’s Story

On December 31, 2017 Ryan, an active 29-year-old was months away from his wedding when he saw his life flash before his eyes. He got into a severe auto accident in the desert and was rushed via helicopter to a nearby hospital. He suffered a brain bleed (subarachnoid hemorrhage), multiple fractures to his left eye and facial bones, and a fracture to his lower neck. He was in critical condition – unable to breathe, move his neck or walk.

Watch the short video to see his inspiring journey!

In the following weeks, he had multiple surgeries to reconstruct his face and broken jaw. After surgery, Ryan was unable to open his mouth to eat, drink or smile. That’s when he was referred by his Doctor to Lindy First, DPT to improve his neck and jaw mobility.

At the start of physical therapy, Ryan was unable to fit one finger in his mouth, smile or turn his head more than a few degrees to the side. Imagine only being able to turn your head two inches.  He was determined to get better in anticipation of his summer wedding. After months of focused manual therapy and reeducation of his muscles, Ryan is now fully functional, has full mobility of his neck and can eat anything he pleases, including a nice juicy burger. He is now happily married and can smile at his beautiful bride.  

Congrats to Ryan and his amazing progress and determination to get well!