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From Traumatic Injury to Dramatic Recovery
After Tom Segars suffered a serious brain injury, physical rehabilitation at Shore Rehabilitation Institute
helped him regain his ability to move and communicate with confidence.
In 2005, Tom Segars of Marlboro
had just gotten engaged to Lynda
DeLorenzo, whom he had met three
years earlier. He also was preparing to
take over his father's business, where he
was a sales manager. An avid sports fan,
Tom enjoyed golf, bowling, skateboarding,
snowboarding, and surfing. Life was good.
Then tragedy struck the night of July 30
when Tom fell from a second-story balcony
into a parking lot. Suffering from a traumatic
brain injury, he slipped into a coma
for five weeks. Tom also suffered a stroke
and severed the nerve that allows him to
hear in his right ear. Three days after the
accident, doctors told his family that he
probably would not live another day.
If this story sounds familiar, Tom was
featured in the HBO documentary Coma,
which aired on July 3, 2007. A portion of
the documentary focused on Tom waking
up from his coma and beginning his long
road to recovery.
Three Types of Therapy
In March 2007, Tom began outpatient
therapy at Shore Rehabilitation Institute
(SRI) at Ocean Medical Center under the
direction of medical director Allen M. Khademi, M.D. "When
Tom first arrived at SRI, he
had significant limitations
with balance, strength,
and overall awareness
and understanding of
the environment around
him," says Dr. Khademi.
To help Tom take the
next steps in his recovery,
the team focused on
physical, occupational,
and speech therapies.
"When Tom arrived, he
was in a wheelchair and
not a functional walker,"
says Jenn Aronson, a
physical therapist at SRI.
After a few sessions,
Tom's therapists believed
the key to getting him to
walk independently again
would be the use of the
U-Step Walker. The UStep
has proven effective
in enhancing the quality
of life and increasing
independence for patients
who have problems with their gait. The U-Step allowed Tom to get
out of the wheelchair and begin walking
again without the assistance of others. It
also helped him progress to using crutches
during therapy sessions.
Tom's occupational therapy treatment
plan focused on helping
him achieve independence
in all areas of his daily
life. Through working
with Rachelle Spencer
Mikita, an occupational
therapist at SRI,
Tom was able to join
the FitLink fitness
program at Ocean
Medical Center. His
trainer designed a
program that took
into account his
physical limitations
and unique challenges
to allow him to reach his
fullest potential.
Occupational therapy gave
Tom the confidence and ability to
continue to do the activities he loved
prior to his accident. He now is able to
cook food while at home, go out and
socialize with friends, and even enjoy
a game of bowling.
During the third component, speech
therapy, Tom worked with Sunshyne Darcy, a speech-language pathologist, on
cognitive communication in areas such as
memory, attention, and initiation. She used
a flash card activity in which she placed
several cards on the table for Tom to study
using specific memory and attention strategies.
Then, she would eliminate
a couple of cards and ask
Tom to recall the missing
ones. Over time,
Sunshyne was able to
continually increase
the number of cards
in the task. She also
implemented the
use of a daily journal.
"Working with
Sunshyne was an
integral component
of Tom's recovery,"
says Lynda. "His
communication skills
improved dramatically.
We began seeing his true
personality again."
Ready for Future Plans
The team at Shore Rehabilitation Institute
played a vital role in helping Tom rehabilitate
to the point where he could move into
a condo with his fiancée, Lynda. They have
been preparing for their wedding day in
May 2008. As part of his community reintegration,
Tom has begun to redevelop his
work skills in a therapeutic setting at his
father's fiberglass company.
"The doctors, therapists, and staff did
a phenomenal job with Tom," says Lynda.
"He built such great relationships with
everyone who worked with him at SRI."
 – Rob Cavanaugh
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Each year, adults and children with
injuries and a variety of health conditions
enter physical rehabilitation. Rehab is
often prescribed if you have muscle and
bone problems, such as low back pain
or arthritis. But it also can help treat a
variety of other conditions, including
nerve problems and cancer. If you've
had a stroke, rehab can help you regain
your function and maintain as much
independence as possible. Rehab also
may be recommended before and after
a surgery such as joint replacement.
Rehabilitation can take place on
an inpatient or outpatient basis. Your
treatment team may include doctors,
nurses, physical and occupational
therapists, speech pathologists, social
workers, and psychologists.
Rehabilitation often relies on exercise.
But your plan will be customized to your
particular condition, needs, and preferences.
It may include massage, bracing,
heat and cold therapies, medicine, and
other treatments.
Depending on your condition, you may
need to attend rehab regularly. Your team
also may recommend exercises that you
can do at home to get stronger.
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