Unstoppable: With the Support of his Family and Care Team, Josh is on the Road to Recovery
“He’d get so excited to see his dad through the window!” recalls Erin Madden, Physical Therapist at NeuroRestorative4kids. “His Dad would read him books at the window, and Josh would smile and stare. You could see that he was really happy!”
Josh came to NeuroRestorative4kids in Las Vegas, NV, during the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. To help prevent the spread of illness, the state put restrictions on visitation at healthcare settings like NeuroRestorative4kids. Even family for young children like Josh were unable to visit.
“That was really hard to not get to visit,” said Josh’s dad, Joshua Bailey, Sr., “but the staff all went out of their way and beyond what was expected for us!”
Josh was just a little more than two years old when he and his family sought rehabilitation services at NeuroRestorative4kids following brain surgery to remove a mass that caused Josh to experience weakness, vision changes, poor feeding, and hydrocephalus. To prepare for his admission, the team conducted an assessment virtually, as hospital visitation restrictions did not allow for a typical in-person evaluation.
Amy Henley, Clinical Program Specialist, worked with Mr. Bailey and the family through video teleconferencing so that the team could “meet” Josh and prepare for his admission. This also gave the family a chance to see the program and meet team members remotely. When Josh first came to NeuroRestorative4kids, he had difficulty moving and swallowing. The team developed a personalized
care plan and worked with Josh day and night.
“It was initially a challenging because Josh was unable to do really basic things like sitting up, but he picked up quickly,” said Erin. “And once he started to move around, he progressed remarkably quickly. We’d all marvel each day about how Josh was making progress right in front of our eyes every day.”
After a month of inpatient treatment, Josh was ready to leave the program. He had come to NeuroRestorative4kids unable to walk and left on his own two feet holding his dad’s hand! It was an emotional day for team members as they watched this amazing little boy and his dad go home together. Josh has been home now for a little over six weeks and continues to make progress. “It is so rewarding for the therapy team to see a child make such gains,” said Erin.
